True
by Hope Grace
Summary: Sequel to Fallout. Chloe and Brady take off on a road trip to find the identity of Chloe's father, but will they end up finding more than they bargained for?
1. Making the Plan

(This story takes place about a week or two after the events of my story "Fallout". If you haven't read it already, please go back and at least skim it so you know what is going on here. This is a sequel of sorts, meaning it exists in the alternate universe I created for that story, so everything there applies, and not what is happening on the show in real life. If you need a recap, either read the last chapter of Fallout or remember this: Brady & Chloe are now a couple, so are Shawn & Belle. Phillip gave Chloe information that his father's people dug up on her birth & adoption so she can find her father. The chapters might come slower than usual, but be patient, I'm so busy this week but I'll get it posted as quickly as I can. I won't just leave it ignored. I promise.)  
  
Chapter One  
  
Chloe sat on one of the fluffy couches in the Black penthouse by herself. Shawn and Belle sat together on the one facing her. She took a large brown manila envelope out of her backpack and laid it on the coffee table.   
  
Shawn looked at her with curiosity and spoke. "So... Chloe, why are we all here? Is this like one of those mystery movies where you sit us all down and start your speech with, 'I'm sure you're all wondering why I've gathered you here today...'?"  
  
Chloe laughed and shook her head. "No... well, okay, sort of. Brady said we could talk here without interruptions..."  
  
Belle nodded. "Yeah... My dad is out of town and my mom is working at the hospital until 5:30, so it's just us kids..."  
  
"Right... and that's what I wanted. I can't talk about this at my house. It's way too risky."  
  
Shawn raised his eyebrows at her. "Talk about what?"  
  
"Don't worry, Shawn. As soon as Brady gets here..." She waved her hands in front of her like a magician. "All will be revealed."  
  
Belle grinned at her. "Well, leave it to you to be mysterious."  
  
Chloe shrugged and smiled at her. "Hey... what can I say? I'm just trying to make your lives more interesting."  
  
Shawn smiled too. "Well, you never seem to have any problem doing that. Things are always interesting with you around."  
  
Chloe chuckled softly. "Uhm.... thanks, I think."  
  
Brady stepped through the front door of the penthouse and took his place on the couch next to Chloe. "Hey guys... sorry to keep all of you waiting."   
  
Chloe smiled and gave him a quick peck on the cheek. "No problem... you're here now, and I can finally let Shawn & Belle in on the big mystery."   
  
Chloe leaned over and pulled a large stack of documents out of the envelope on the table. She handed a couple over to Shawn & Belle. They looked over them for a moment until Belle put hers down in her lap and looked up at Chloe curiously.  
  
"Chloe... what are these?"  
  
Chloe sighed. "These... are my birthday presents from Phillip."  
  
Shawn looked at her in confusion. "He gave you a copy of your birth certificate? How.... nice?"  
  
Chloe shook her head. "It's not just that... You know that his father has every resource in the world when it comes to digging up information on people. And, uhm... Phillip knew that the one thing I wanted most in the world aside from an opera career is to find out who my father is. He really wanted to find my father, but the paper trail was too cold. He did, however, dig up every bit of information on my mother's past. Stuff that can very well lead me to the identity of my father."  
  
Belle sat back in amazement and smiled widely. "Oh Chloe.... that is such wonderful news."  
  
Shawn nodded in agreement. "So, this is what was in that package you didn't show anybody?"  
  
"Yup. I couldn't make a scene about it because I didn't want Nancy to find out. So, I told Brady... and now you guys. That's it."  
  
Shawn laid the copy of Chloe's birth certificate on the table and looked up at her. "Well, this is great and all. But what are you going to do with all this?"  
  
Chloe paused and nervously continued. "Well... this is where you guys come in. I need help... ideas."  
  
Brady interjected. "Yeah, she can't exactly tell her mother, you know. So, I promised Chloe that I would do whatever I can to help her out. Even if it means going to Boston to investigate."  
  
Belle's jaw dropped in shock. "BOSTON? How are you two going to go to Boston without Nancy finding out?"  
  
Shawn nodded and continued. "Yeah, and what's in Boston?"  
  
Chloe sighed. "Well, Boston is where I was born. It seems that my grandfather sent Nancy off to one of those 'home for un-wed mothers' in Boston for me to be born. That way nobody would 'notice' that she was pregnant. So, that's where I was going to start."  
  
Brady continued. "And we need your help because we have no idea how we're going to get out of here without anyone noticing..."  
  
Belle and Shawn paused for a few moments, trying to come up with a way that they wouldn't get caught. Shawn shrugged slightly and spoke. "Well, we already know that you just can't run away, Chloe. I mean, you're only 17 and if Brady and you go across state lines without the permission of your parents... that's a kind of trouble that neither one of you want to be in."  
  
Chloe nodded vehemently. "I know... Believe me, I know. And even though we've been getting along pretty well lately, if I just ran off without an explanation, Nancy would make my life hell... and Brady's too."  
  
Brady continued. "Right... and we can't just tell her that we want to go on a road trip either. Nancy & Craig will not approve of their 17 year old daughter and her 19 year old boyfriend going off together.... just the two of us."  
  
Brady looked over at Belle who was biting her lower lip nervously. She sighed and all of a sudden her blue eyes got wider. "WAIT... I know... I've got it. What about the school trip?"  
  
Chloe looked at her in confusion. "Uhm... what about it? My father is probably NOT in Puerto Rico, Belle."  
  
Belle groaned and rolled her eyes. "No, that's not what I meant. Listen... as far as Craig & Nancy are concerned, you were planning to go on the trip, right?"  
  
"Riiiiight."  
  
"Well, just play along. We're going to be there for two weeks, and that should give you plenty of time to go to Boston or wherever. Pretend like you're still going. Shawn and I will cover for you, and they'll never be the wiser."  
  
Chloe looked at her with uncertainty. "Wait... what if they talk to Mr. Woods or he talks to them?"  
  
Shawn interjected. "No, no, see... Belle's got a great idea. They won't talk to Mr. Woods because they already have, they signed the permission slip, paid for the trip and they have no reason to talk to Mr. Woods about it again, right?"  
  
Chloe nodded thoughfully. "Okay... that's true. So, since you two are so brilliant today, what about Mr. Woods? Don't you think he'll call my parents if I don't show up?"  
  
Shawn shook his head and continued. "I doubt it. Belle and I will just tell him that you had to cancel because you're sick... He'll be too busy keeping an eye out on the other kids to call your parents and 'check up' on you."  
  
Brady grinned and placed a hand on Chloe's knee. "See... now you know why we invited them here, Chloe."  
  
"No kidding... you guys are the best. But, Brady... what are you going to tell your dad?"  
  
Brady paused for a moment and raised one eyebrow in thought. "Hmmm.... I'll just tell him that I'm going to Chicago to visit a friend from baseball camp. He'll buy that. Besides, I'm over 18... it's not like he can do anything about it."  
  
Belle nodded and pointed something else out. "Besides, mom and dad will love having both of us gone at the same time."  
  
Shawn threw Brady and Chloe a skeptical glance. "I just want to know how you guys are going to pay for a 2 week trip by yourselves..."  
  
Brady piped up immediately. "I'll pay for it..."  
  
Chloe looked at him and shook her head. "No, Brady... I can't let you do that. I'll find the money somehow..."  
  
"In two days? I doubt that..." Chloe tried to speak again but Brady silenced her with a finger on her lips. "No, Chloe... I'm paying for it. I have the money from my settlement in the bank, and I have credit cards. I'm not worried about the money, I have money and it means nothing to me. I... I want to do this for you... And that's the final word on it. Besides, you don't have any other choice. You need the money, and I have it. Plain and simple."  
  
Chloe sighed deeply and looked at him, her eyes starting to well up with tears. "Oh Brady.... you are so amazing."  
  
Brady grinned at her and moved in to kiss her on the lips. A moment later, they were interrupted by Belle & Shawn chiming in with a collective, "Awwwwwwwwww."  
  
Chloe jumped back and chuckled. "Whoops... almost forgot there were other people in the room."  
  
Belle smiled and laughed it off. "That's alright... we totally understand."  
  
Shawn blushed a little bit and leaned back in his seat further. "So... that gives us what? Two days to finalize all of the details of the plan?"  
  
Chloe nodded affirmatively. "Pretty much. I know it's not much time... but if push comes to shove, we'll just wing it."  
  
Brady snickered. "Right... cause we're all SO good at that."  
  
Chloe continued. "You guys just have to promise me that what is said in here never leaves. Please, do not tell ANYONE what we are doing. People will find out eventually... if I find my father... but, if I don't find anything, I'd rather just forget it happened."  
  
Belle nodded. "Of course, Chloe. You can totally count on Shawn and me. Our lips are sealed."  
  
Shawn nodded along with her. "Absolutely..."  
  
Chloe smiled and breathed a sigh of relief. "I know... I knew that I could trust you, and only you three. Thank you so much. I can't even tell you how much I appreciate you all..."  
  
Belle smiled back at her. "You don't have to, Chloe... cause I think we all feel the same. I mean, I know that you would be there for me if I needed you..."  
  
Chloe stood up and went to the other couch to hug Belle. "Thank you so much, Belle." She let go of Belle and looked at Brady and Shawn. "Thank you everyone... this means so much to me."  
  
Shawn smiled and nodded. "I just hope you find what you're looking for."  
  
"I will... I have faith."  
  
Brady smiled softly at her. "Yup. The truth is out there, Chloe."  
  
Belle laughed loudly and grinned at her brother. "Right... Trust no one."  
  
Shawn laughed too, but Chloe looked at them all in confusion. "Huh?"  
  
Shawn stopped laughing long enough to reply to Chloe. "Sorry, Chloe... It's an X-Files thing. I make Belle watch it every Sunday. We didn't mean to break up the seriousness of the moment, but I'm so proud that I have trained her so well."  
  
Chloe smiled and nodded. "Eh... just another case of me not being as aware of pop-culture as a normal teenager should be."  
  
Brady grinned at her and winked. "But, Chloe... we wouldn't have you any other way. You're perfect the way you are."  
  
Chloe pointed one finger at him. "And, *you* are a kiss-up, Brady Black."  
  
Brady shrugged and decided to change the subject. "That may be true... but... uhm... does anyone want coffee?"  
  
They all raised their hands at once and headed into the kitchen to quench their thirst and continue the planning.  
***  



	2. Say Goodbye to Salem...

Chapter Two  
  
(Two days later...)  
  
Chloe stood in her room packing the last of her things into the black suitcase that Nancy and Craig had given her to take on the school trip. Lying to both of them was not an easy thing to do. She felt guilty for lying to Nancy, but not nearly as guilty as she felt for lying to Craig. Nancy had told her own lies to Chloe, but Craig had always been a hundred percent honest with her, and Chloe felt pangs of guilt in her heart when she had to play along that she was heading to Puerto Rico with the rest of her class.  
  
Chloe heard a soft knock at the door. "Yes?"  
  
She heard Nancy's muffled voice on the other side. "Chloe... can I come in?"  
  
Chloe quickly glanced to make sure that the file on Nancy had been hidden away in her backpack, and opened the door for Nancy to come in.  
  
"So, Chloe... you almost all packed then?"  
  
Chloe nodded. "Yeah, pretty much. Brady should be here any second. All I have to do is zip everything up and I'm ready to go."  
  
"Are you sure you don't want Craig and I to take you to the airport? We don't mind at all."  
  
"No, I'm sure. Thank you though. It's just I hate goodbyes and all. I'd rather do them here in private instead of in front of everyone. Okay?"  
  
Nancy nodded and smiled weakly. "Yeah, I understand. I'm really glad you're going on this trip. I think it's such a great opportunity."  
  
Chloe smiled at her mother. "Yeah. Me too." The doorbell rang downstairs, and Chloe looked at Nancy and sighed. "Well... that's my cue..."  
  
"Here, let me help you..." Chloe handed Nancy her backpack and Chloe took a hold of the big suitcase and dragged it downstairs. Brady and Craig were chatting in the entryway, and Craig ran over and took Chloe's suitcase down the last few steps. Chloe took her backpack from Nancy and gave Brady a quick smile. He winked back at her, but stayed out of the way.  
  
Nancy turned to Chloe and gave her a tight hug. "Be careful out there, Chloe. Have fun though… but be safe... and call me."  
  
Chloe chuckled softly and let go of Nancy. "I will, Nancy. Thank you."   
  
Chloe turned to Craig and wrapped her arms around him in a warm hug. "Bye Craig..."  
  
Craig pulled back and smiled at her. "Have fun, Chloe... we sure will miss you around here."  
  
Chloe grinned at him. "Oh, I doubt that... You two behave yourselves, please."  
  
Craig winked at her slyly. "Always..."  
  
Chloe laughed and went to stand next to Brady. Brady grabbed her suitcase and opened the door for her. She and Brady waved goodbye as they walked out and Craig and Nancy watched them go, before shutting the door behind them.  
  
Once they had stepped off the porch, Brady put his arm around her and whispered in her ear. "You alright?"  
  
Chloe nodded slightly. "Mostly... that was a lot harder than I thought it would be."   
  
They reached the van and put her bags inside, and as Chloe sat in the front seat waiting for Brady to pull away from the house she realized the impact of what was about to happen. For better or worse, whatever she would find out on her trip would most likely tear them apart. Sometimes the truth will set you free, but she knew it could also destroy the only family she had ever known.  
  
Brady pulled the car away from the Wesley house and headed down the road towards the highway.  
  
"Hey Chloe... there's something in the glove box for you. Belle put it in there before she left for the airport."  
  
Chloe reached in the glove box and found a folded up note on Belle's pink stationery. She unfolded it and read it to herself.  
  
"To Chloe:  
Good luck on your adventure. I hope that you find what you are looking for, Chloe. You deserve the truth, and I just know that you will find it. Shawn and I wish that we could be there for you, but it'd probably be pretty suspicious if we all ditched the trip to Puerto Rico. I gave Brady the numbers for the hotel here if you need to get a hold of us for any reason. Take care of my brother for me, cause I know he will be too busy taking care of you to watch out for his self. You will be in my thoughts and prayers every day. Have a safe trip, buckle your seatbelt and remember... it's only 1100 miles to Boston.  
Much love and luck,  
Belle"  
  
Chloe smiled and folded it back up. She muttered under her breath. "Only 1100 miles..."  
  
Brady glanced at her quickly and smiled. "Yeah, it sounds farther than it really is."  
  
Chloe groaned. "I hope so... I don't want to get carsick."  
  
"And believe me, I don't want you to either. I just cleaned the van."  
  
Chloe laughed and settled herself more comfortably in her seat. She glanced out the window at the town of Salem passing her by. She had a feeling deep down in her stomach that when she returned here, she would never be able to look at it the same.  
***  
(tbc) 


	3. Bathroom Break

Chapter 3  
  
(About 300 miles down the road...)  
  
"Every little thing I do... never seems enough for you... you don't wanna lose it again... but I'm not like them. Baby when you finally, get to love somebody, that's why... It's gonna be me..." Chloe sat in the passenger seat of Brady's van, dancing to the music and singing at the top of her lungs.   
  
Brady glanced at her with his eyebrows raised. "You know, I'm always learning new things about you Chloe, but I would have never figured that you would know ALL the words to an NSync song."  
  
Chloe laughed and turned down the radio slightly. "Well... it's one of my guilty pleasures, I guess. Your sister bought me the CD last year, and it's kinda addictive."  
  
"Why is it a guilty pleasure?"  
  
Chloe improved her posture and spoke in a mock-serious tone. "Because no *serious* opera diva would listen to teen pop. We'll just chalk it up to the little bit of 'actual' teenager, I have left in me, right?"  
  
Brady grinned at her. "There's nothing wrong with that... No reason to be ashamed."  
  
Chloe sat back in her seat and crossed her arms. "Well, thank God for that... Hey, Brady... can we stop at the next gas station or convenience store that we see?"  
  
"Why? Didn't my sister fill the cooler with enough snack food and beverages for you?"  
  
"Oh, no no no. It's not that. I have to visit the little girl's room, and I want to buy a couple things too."  
  
"Alright, there's a small town up the road here, so I'll stop at the first place I see."  
  
Chloe smiled sweetly at him. "Thaaaaank you."  
  
Chloe returned her attention to the radio and fiddled with the stations until she found another one with good reception. About 15 miles down the road, Brady saw a gas station and pulled in. Chloe asked Brady to get her a bottle of aspirin, and some sunscreen while she went to the bathroom. Riding in the van all day had made her right arm get red from the sun shining on it, and she wanted to keep it from getting worse on the rest of the trip.   
  
Brady gave her a quick kiss and went inside to make some purchases, as Chloe walked around to the back of the building. Standing on the other side of the men's room was an middle aged man in a tattered brown jacket smoking a cigarette. Chloe smiled politely at him as she tried to turn the knob on the door to the ladies' room. It wouldn't turn, and the man muttered under his breath. "Gotta get the key from the store."  
  
Chloe smiled at him again. "Thanks..." She turned and walked around the building to go inside the store. Brady saw her come in and waved at her from over a rack. She smiled at him and motioned with her hand that she had to get a key to use the bathroom. She went up to the counter and spoke to the young blonde woman behind the counter.  
  
"Hi... I need the key to the bathroom in the back please."  
  
The woman smiled and handed her a key on a large metal ring. "Here ya go... Just turn the light off when you leave."  
  
"Thanks..." Chloe smiled at the woman, waved at Brady and went back outside.   
  
When she reached the bathrooms, the man was still standing in the same spot. When he saw her, he threw his cigarette on the ground and mashed it with his foot. All of a sudden, Chloe felt that there wasn't something quite right about this man or this situation. She felt a chill crawl up her spine, but shook it off. It was broad daylight after all, and she shouldn't be worried. She assured herself that she would quickly use the bathroom and get back to Brady, and the feeling would be as good as gone.  
  
She slowly turned they key in the lock, looking downward. She opened the door, turned the light on and stepped inside the small, but clean bathroom. She let the door fall shut behind her as she stepped closer to the toilet. She paused for a moment because she hadn't heard the door click shut, and turned around to make sure it was shut all the way. It was cracked slightly open and as she stepped over to close it, a large hand grabbed the edge of the door and threw it open almost knocking Chloe off of her feet. The man in the brown jacket put one dirty hand on Chloe's mouth and used his other arm to grab her around the waist and pull her to him. He backed up and shut the door with one foot.  
  
Chloe tried to scream through his hand, but it was too muffled for anyone to hear and she knew he door was locked behind them anyway. He shook his head at her. "Now, now, don't scream, pretty one. It won't do you any good. It will only make this worse for you. Promise me you won't scream, okay?"  
  
Chloe nodded her head as the tears began to roll down her face. He moved his hand away from her mouth and placed it on her chin. He grabbed her tighter and moved her across the room pressing her to the wall. He glared at her and looked her up and down. "Boy, you sure are beautiful. Your hair, your eyes, your body... You look like a pretty little rich girl, that's for sure."  
  
He moved one hand to the front pocket on her jeans and placed one finger inside her pocket. "Is there where you keep all your traveling money, pretty one?"  
  
Chloe shook her head and breathed deeply. "No... I don't have any money. I swear. My boyfriend is in the store, he's carrying all of our money."   
  
He examined her pockets quickly and saw that they were indeed empty. He moved his face in closer to hers and she could feel the stench of his breath on her face. He had fully pressed his body into hers and there was no she could move away from him. Chloe tried to stop the tears but couldn't as a deep sob erupted from her mouth.   
  
"Well, since you don't have any money... I'll just have to get my prize in another way."  
  
Chloe shuddered as he ran one hand from her waist and up to her chest, cupping her left breast. He moved his head down and gave her a rough kiss on her exposed neck. As he backed off a little and moved one hand to undo his belt, Chloe saw this as her only opportunity to save herself.  
  
She watched him closely as she opened her mouth, and using all of the power she had in her body, screamed at the top of her lungs. "BRAAAAAAAADY!!!"  
***  



	4. Peril at the Quik-Stop

Chapter Four  
  
The man jumped back in shock at the power of Chloe's earth-shattering screams. She noticed that she had paused him and continued. "BRAAAAAAAADY! HELP ME!!"  
  
She saw the anger flash in his eyes as he moved towards her again, but Chloe felt a surge of adrenaline and drove her knee up between his legs. He staggered backwards in pain for a moment, and before he could get his bearings back, Chloe balled her hand up into a fist and put all her strength behind it. She hit him powerfully in his jaw and he stumbled backwards and fell to the ground hitting his head on the toilet bowl and knocking himself unconscious in the process.  
  
Chloe stepped back, almost amazed and what she had done. She leaned against the wall close to the door and slid down to the floor. She wrapped her arms around herself and began to sob.  
***  
Brady had grabbed Chloe's requested items and was looking at the rack of magazines. Most of them were magazines about cars, or half-naked women... or half-naked women sitting on cars. Brady wasn't really interested, he was just trying to kill time until Chloe got back from the restroom.  
  
He paused for a moment and turned towards toward the back of the store because he thought he heard a woman's voice crying out from behind the wall. He moved closer to the wall and this time he knew that he heard Chloe screaming his name. He instantly dropped his bag and ran out of the store and to the bathrooms. He saw no sign of Chloe and tried to open the door to the ladies room but it was locked.  
  
He banged on the door as hard as he could and yelled loudly. "CHLOE! ARE YOU IN THERE? LET ME IN!"  
  
Chloe reached her hand up and turned the doorknob to let him in. Brady walked in and saw a man passed out near the toilet, and Chloe was crouched in the corner by the door sobbing deeply. He immediately bent down and took her in his arms.  
  
"Chloe... I heard you screaming. What the hell is going on?"  
  
She stopped sobbing a took a deep breath, pausing so she could get the words out. "He followed me in here... he wanted money... I told him I didn't have any. Oh God, Brady... he was going to rape me."  
  
Brady began stroking her hair softly and held her closer. "Oh Chloe... I am so sorry that bastard tried to hurt you. How did you stop him?"  
  
Chloe moved her head away from his shoulder and looked up at him. Having his arms wrapped around her and being able to look into his warm blue eyes made her feel instantly safer. "When he moved away to..." she paused at the memory of it, "take his belt off... I screamed. I surprised him, I think. Then I fought back... he hit his head on the toilet on the way down."  
  
Brady wiped the tears off of her face gently. "Chloe... you are so brave."  
  
Chloe rested her head on his shoulder again and Brady kissed the top of her head. He heard the man start to stir behind him and gently let Chloe go. Brady stepped over to where the man was just regaining consciousness and pulled him down until he was laying flat on his back on the floor. Brady put his knee in the middle of the man's chest and slapped him across the face. "Wake up, asshole..."  
  
The man groaned in pain and his eyes fluttered open and he looked up at Brady in confusion. Brady pressed his knee onto his chest harder. "Good morning. You've made a very huge mistake today. You've hurt the person I care about most in the world and I'm going to make you pay for it. Now, just what should I do to take care of you?"  
  
"Brady... we can't call the police..."  
  
Brady turned to look at Chloe who was now standing near the door. "What? Chloe... this man almost raped you, and you don't want to call the cops?"  
  
"No, Brady. I want to, but we can't. If the cops show up and I have to press charges or give a statement, they are going to find out I'm a minor. They'll send me home and put you in jail for taking a minor over state lines."  
  
"But, we can't just let him go free and clear... he's just going to do this to someone else."  
  
"I know, Brady... we'll just have to think of another way."  
  
"Well... I'll think about it in a minute."  
  
Brady took his knee out of the man's chest, grabbed on to his shirt and yanked him to his feet. He pushed him roughly against the wall and spat in his face. Brady yanked him back and slammed him into the wall again for good measure. He balled his right hand into a fist and threw a tremendous right hook into the guy's jaw. The man coughed a little bit and Brady punched him again. This time he spat a little blood out and one of his teeth came with it.  
  
Brady looked at him with fake sympathy. "Awww... did you lose a tooth? Too bad." Brady set up again and nailed another punch into the middle of the man's face, one that most likely broke his nose. Brady could feel cartilage crunching under his fist and the man slumped to the floor underneath him. Brady let go of him, took a few steps back and breathed deeply.  
  
A fearful Chloe whispered from behind him. "Brady… you didn't kill him did you?"  
  
Brady shook his head. "No, of course not. But, he's unconscious again. That will give us a chance to think of something."  
  
Brady kneeled on the floor next to the unconscious man and pulled his wallet out of the pocket of his jacket. Brady opened it up and found about 8 dollars and a few various pieces of I.D.  
  
"Hmm. Guy's name is Mitchell Jensen. Looks like a real savory character too..."  
  
Brady dug further in the jacket pocket and pulled out a plastic baggie filled with what looked like hand-rolled cigarettes, a whole load of them. Brady pulled one out and sniffed it slightly. He grinned slightly and stuffed it back into the man's pocket.   
  
"Well, Mitch... Looks like it's your lucky day and ours. We don't have to think of an alternate plan now. The cops may not be able to get you on assault this time, but you'll most certainly get arrested for possession of marijuana."  
  
Brady stood up and grabbed Chloe's hand. "Come on, Chloe... we're gonna go call the police." Chloe followed him out the door but left her eyes on the man as she walked out.  
  
Brady went to the payphone and dialed the police. He fed them a line about a man behind the Quik-Stop who had tried to sell him and his girlfriend drugs. When the man got belligerent, Brady told the police that he knocked him unconscious and left him in the bathroom.  
  
Brady hung up the phone and he and Chloe went to sit in the van together. They decided that they would sit there and watch the door in case Mitch woke up, and leave as soon as the police arrived. Chloe sighed deeply and sunk in her seat slightly. Brady grabbed his hand with hers and softly stroked her palm with his thumb.  
  
"Chloe... how you holding up?"  
  
Chloe shrugged. "I don't know... I'm still in shock, Brady. But, I feel violated. I don't want to think about what would have happened if he had gone any further. It makes me sick to my stomach."  
  
"Don't think about it... it didn't happen. You were so brave, Chloe. You've got powerful lungs and a powerful right hook to go with it. I'm so proud of what you did."  
  
Chloe rolled her head to face him and smiled weakly. "Thank you... God... I was so afraid, but I knew that I had to fight back. I had no other choice."  
  
"Well, you're safe now... I'm not going to let you out of my sight again."  
  
Chloe smiled again. "I know. And, as soon as you got to me, I felt perfectly safe again. Just having you there made me feel better."  
  
Brady sighed softly. "Chloe... are you going to be okay? If you want to go home, we will. We don't have to keep going."  
  
Chloe shook her head vehemently. "No, we have to keep going. We didn't come this far and go through all of this just to give up now."  
  
Brady put one hand on her cheek and smiled at her. "You are so strong, Chloe."  
  
"I have to be. Always." She smiled at him, and looked out of the corner of her eye at something. "Hey... the police are here. Let's go."  
  
Brady started the van, backed out of his parking space and headed back towards the highway. "So, what now?"  
  
Chloe sat up in her seat and looked at her disheveled clothes. "I'm thinking... place to sleep, and more importantly a place to take a long long long shower. Preferably far away from the Quik-Stop."  
  
Brady steered the van onto the ramp and used a free hand to brush Chloe's hand. "You got it."  
  
Chloe turned her head and stared out her window at the sky that was now almost dark. She prayed that this day wasn't a bad omen of what was to come. Dear God... please let this just be another obstacle. I know I can get through this, but don't give me more than I can handle.   
***  



	5. Shower the Pain Away

Chapter Five  
  
(Somewhere in Ohio...)  
  
Only minutes after they hit the highway, Chloe laid her head against the window and fell fast asleep. Somewhere in the back of her head she could hear the sound the van made as it sped along the road, but for the most part, she was out like a light. About an hour later, she awoke to a window spattered with raindrops. The van was parked outside a roadside motel, and she was completely alone for the moment. She sat up and stretched as she yawned.   
  
Chloe tried to smooth her wrinkled clothes when the passenger door to the van opened suddenly. She jumped in fear and laid one hand on her chest.  
  
"Oh Jesus, Brady... you scared me half to death."  
  
Brady leaned against the door and grinned at her. "Sorry about that... I thought you might still be asleep so I was gonna carry you into the room. You know... now that I can walk without my canes, I can do things like that. So I was tempted to flex my muscles."  
  
Chloe smiled at him and unbuckled her seatbelt. "Well, that's sweet of you... but I'm a big girl, I think I can handle it."  
  
Brady clasped her hand and helped her out of the van. "I know... You have certainly proved that to me in the past, that's for sure."  
  
Chloe grinned slyly at him. "Well, I'll let you flex your manly macho muscles by carrying the big suitcases if you give me the key to the room."  
  
Brady kissed her on the forehead and slipped the key into her hand. "Here ya go... Room 104, right over there."  
  
Chloe smiled at him, grabbed her small bag and headed towards the room. She unlocked the door and laid her backpack down. The room was quite small, but had two double beds and was very clean. She walked around the room for a couple of minutes, checking it out and getting a feel for the floor plan until she heard a noise which sounded like somebody throwing himself up against the door. Chloe ran to the door and opened it to an exhausted Brady who was weighed down by both of their suitcases. He stepped inside and threw the suitcases aside.  
  
"Ughhhh... Chloe... what the hell did you put in here? You didn't bring the *entire* town of Salem in the suitcase, did you?"  
  
Chloe cringed briefly. "Sorry about that... I forgot how heavy it was."  
  
Brady shook it off and wrapped his arms around Chloe. "Don't worry about it... I don't mind."  
  
Chloe smiled and gave him a quick kiss on the lips. "Awww... you're such a sucker sometimes. I'm gonna go take a shower now, okay?"  
  
Brady smiled back at her. "Take your time... I think I'm going to go over the map and the plans for tomorrow's driving."  
  
Brady let go of Chloe and she grabbed one of the hotel bathrobes in the closet and made her way into the bathroom, closing the door behind her. She turned the water in the shower on and turned towards the mirror to look at her reflection.  
  
"Geez... I look awful." Of course, that wasn't a surprise to Chloe. After what she had endured today, she had expected the worst. She frowned at her reflection and sighed softly. "Be strong... Forget about it. Put it out of your head. Focus on what you have to do." The words meant a lot but they couldn't entirely shake the hideous feeling that she felt throughout her body. No matter how strong she was, she had still been attacked and she couldn't just let it go that easily. But she knew she would hold on because of Brady... he would force her not to fall apart, and if she did, he would put the pieces back together for her.  
  
Her glasses had begun to fog up and she took them off and laid them on the counter. She took the headband out of her hair, undressed the rest of the way and stepped under the hot shower. Chloe scrubbed every inch of her body, hoping to scrub out the memories of what had happened in that Quik-Stop bathroom. Deep down she knew that even a million showers couldn't do that, but Chloe was strong and although she would never forget, she would move on. She had to.  
***  
Chloe stepped out of the bathroom clad in the white bathrobe, with a matching towel wrapped around her head like a turban. Brady was sitting on the bed closest to the door with several maps and guidebooks spread around him. He looked up from his maps when Chloe opened the bathroom door.  
  
"Wow... Chloe... did anyone ever tell you that terry cloth is a fantastic look for you?"  
  
"Ha Ha, Brady. So what's the itinerary for tomorrow, Navigator?" Chloe sat down on the other bed and faced him.  
  
Brady shrugged slightly. "Well... I've got good news and bad news. The good news is that we drove almost 400 miles today."  
  
"And the bad news?"  
  
"We still have 700 left to go. Which means... that if you want to make it to Boston tomorrow afternoon, we have to leave in like 5 hours."  
  
Chloe sighed and shook her head. "Well... that's okay. I'd really rather sleep actually. I mean, I want to get there soon, but what's the point if both of us are too worn out to think? I vote for sleep."  
  
"I agree. Oh yeah... while you were in the shower I brought in the sandwiches that Belle made for us. I already had mine, yours is in the fridge if you want it."  
  
Chloe stood up quickly. "Well... now that you mention it. I'm starving."  
  
She walked over to the small hotel fridge and pulled out the sandwich wrapped in plastic and took it back to her bed. She grabbed the file on her mother and once again opened it to skim the pages inside as she nibbled on her sandwich. She heard Brady fold up his maps, put them away and stand up from the bed  
  
"I think I'm going to take a shower too..."  
  
Chloe looked up and grinned at him. "Have fun... I think I used all the hot water."  
  
Brady rolled his eyes and walked towards the bathroom. "Well that figures..."   
  
Brady left her alone with her sandwich, as she pored through the files from the envelope. The words on the pages were exactly the same every time she read them, but each time she hoped that she could find something new. Chloe slid down further in her bed and rested her head on the soft fluffy pillows. She tried to read the documents and chew her sandwich at the same time, but her eyes grew heavier and heavier with each passing minute.  
***  
  
Brady stepped out of the bathroom in a pair of shorts and a tattered old baseball shirt. He stepped towards the two beds and paused to look at Chloe. She had drifted off to sleep while he was showering. Her hair was still wrapped in the towel and her half-eaten sandwich was laid beside her on the bed. Brady quietly stepped towards her and moved the sandwich and the papers she had been reading to the table between the beds. He gently took off her glasses and removed the towel from her hair. He paused to take in how beautiful she was even now in sleep. Brady gently moved the covers on the bed and put them over her. He leaned in and gave her a gentle kiss on the lips before settling into his own bed.  
  
As he looked at her peaceful sleeping form, he smiled once more and softly whispered. "Good night, Chloe... I love you."   
  
Brady had never told Chloe those three words before, at least not when she was awake. Just like Chloe, he was afraid of them... afraid to admit his feelings and be hurt by them in the long run. She knew that he loved her, and he knew that she felt the same but both of them were unable to speak the words out loud. At least for now.  
***  



	6. Pillow Talk

Chapter Six  
  
Chloe woke up to a completely empty room. She had slept so deeply that she didn't hear Brady get ready for bed, or get up this morning and leave. Knowing Brady, he had probably left to go get breakfast or coffee or something. At least, that's what the growling noise in Chloe's stomach hoped he had done. She rolled out of bed and grabbed her hairbrush out of her luggage. She had made the dreadful mistake of falling asleep with a towel on her head and now she was going to pay for it with tangles.  
  
Chloe sat on the edge of her bed and starting brushing through the tangles in her long brown hair. Minutes later, she grunted in frustration as she pulled the hairbrush through the last thick tangle as Brady unlocked the door and stepped inside. He was holding several bags of food, and a drink carrier full of different beverages.  
  
"Goooooood morning, beautiful. I, uhh, didn't know what you wanted for breakfast, so I brought almost everything. McMuffin thingies, pancakes, some sort of steak on a bagel thing... And, your choice of breakfast beverages... Coffee, Milk or Orange Juice... or all three."  
  
Chloe laughed out loud as he put the food on the bed next to her. She dug inside and pulled out an egg mcmuffin and grabbed the coffee cup out of the drink carrier. "Well... I'll have this to start... but I'm pretty hungry so you came prepared."  
  
Brady sat down next to her and took some food for himself. "So, how did you sleep?"  
  
Through a bite of her breakfast, Chloe muttered. "Like a rock. Didn't even hear you leave or anything."  
  
Brady took a bite of his biscuit and nodded. "I'm glad... so, how ya holding up?"  
  
Chloe shrugged slightly. "I'm fine... I guess. I mean, I haven't forgotten about it, but it helps when I realize that I'm actually pretty lucky. Lucky that it didn't turn out worse than it was. It'll just take some time to get over it, but I will."  
  
Brady wiped a few crumbs off his lips and kissed her on the cheek. "Well, I'm always here for you if you need me."  
  
Chloe smiled at him. "I know... and that's what is getting me through it." Chloe paused for a second, grabbed Brady's wrist and looked at the time. "Brady... it's almost eleven already... geez."  
  
"Yeah, I know. And let me tell you... I had to practically beg those McDonalds people to serve me breakfast. They are so uptight over that 'Breakfast served until 10:30' rule."  
  
"That's not what I'm talking about... Why did you let me sleep so late? We've got a lot of driving to do."  
  
Brady grinned at her. "Well, Rip Van Winkle... I couldn't bear to wake you up when you looked so darn cute like that. But don't worry about it, you said you were okay with getting to Boston late... so this still gives us plenty of time to get there and check into a hotel for the night."  
  
"I know... Sorry I'm so tense. Just hurry and eat."  
  
Brady complied and between their two empty stomachs they made quick work of devouring the food. They quickly gathered their stuff, turned in the key and headed out for another long day of driving.  
***  
They arrived in Boston around 10 o'clock that evening. Thanks to Belle's overloading of the food and drinks, they had only needed to stop for bathroom breaks and to stretch their legs.  
  
Chloe took a final look at their local Boston map as she directed Brady to a nearby motel.  
  
"Wow... your sister scares me. Not only does she cater our entire trip, but she color codes our maps for us and includes a list of motels on the route that we're going."  
  
Brady laughed and nodded. "Yeah, and to think this is for a trip she's not even on. She may always be running late, but as you can tell, it's for a good reason. Heck, she's probably learned how to speak Spanish fluently already so she can fit in on with the locals in Puerto Rico."  
  
Chloe laughed out loud. "No kidding... Wait, here it is, Brady... turn right. This is it."  
  
Brady pulled the van into the motel parking lot and parked it close to the office. Both of them got out and went inside. Chloe poured herself a complimentary cup of coffee as Brady went to the front desk to pay for a room. She idly sipped her coffee as she stared out the window.  
  
A few minutes later Brady came up behind her and tapped her on the shoulder. She turned around to face him and he waved a room key in her face. "Here ya go... only thing is, there's only one bed... so I'll sleep on the floor."  
  
Chloe smiled widely. "Cool... let's go."   
  
They headed out of the office together, gathered their stuff from the van and found their room for the night. This room didn't look all that different from the one they had stayed in the night before, and Chloe silently wondered if all hotel rooms looked exactly alike. It certainly seemed like it. The only difference in this one was the king-sized bed instead of the two double beds.  
  
Chloe laid her suitcase down and sighed. Brady came over to her and put his arm around her waist. "Got a long day ahead of us, tomorrow, don't we?"  
  
Chloe sighed and nodded. No words could prepare her for what may lay ahead of her in the next few days. She moved away from Brady and unzipped her suitcase to pull a pair of pajamas out.  
  
"Well... I'm worn out again. I'm going to go get ready for bed."  
  
Brady nodded. "Me too."  
  
Chloe went into the bathroom to prepare for bed, while Brady did the same. He quickly changed out of his clothes and prepared a makeshift bed on the floor beside where Chloe would be sleeping. He grabbed a pillow off of the bed and laid it on the floor as Chloe walked out of the bathroom and sat on the edge of the bed.  
  
Brady kneeled on the floor in front of her and gave her a deep kiss. "Good night, Chloe."  
  
Chloe smiled gently at him. "Good night, Brady."  
  
They both got under their separate covers and Chloe turned out the light. Brady rolled away and faced the wall instead of the bed. He shut his eyes and tried to fall asleep to the sound of Chloe's breathing. He was just about to drift away when he heard Chloe's voice behind him.  
  
"Brady...?"  
  
"Mmm-hmmm."  
  
"Do you think I'm ready for the truth?"  
  
Brady rolled over and put his hand up, searching for hers until he found it and clasped it tightly. "I think you already know the answer to that one."  
  
"I do?"  
  
"Yeah. Of course you're ready Chloe... You're a strong, intelligent, brave person and you'll be able to handle the truth, whatever it is. Besides, good or bad - you deserve to know."  
  
"I know..."  
  
Brady stroked her hand lazily with his index finger. Chloe sighed softly at his touch. "Brady?"  
  
"Yesssss..."  
  
"You can sleep in the bed, y'know. I trust you not to do anything that I don't want done."  
  
"Are you sure?"  
  
"Of course, I am. You know that nothing comes out of my mouth unless I mean it."  
  
Brady repressed the urge to chuckle and gathered his blanket and pillows and laid in the bed beside her. Chloe rolled over so that they were facing each other and smiled.  
  
"I have to thank you for something, Brady..."  
  
"No you don't... You don't need to thank me for anything."  
  
Chloe shook her head. "Yes, I do. I don't even have the right words to thank you for everything that you mean to me and everything you've done for me."  
  
"You don't have to thank me, because I already know."  
  
"You do?"  
  
Brady smiled and stroked her cheek with his hand. "Yup. I can read you like a book, Chloe Lane. For every day that we're together, I learn about one of your gestures or one of your facial expressions. I can tell by a movement of your face when you're sad, or happy or thankful."  
  
"Wow... I guess I can't keep anything from you."  
  
"Nahhhh... I'm still a guy, and even the most observant guys are still clueless about some things."  
  
Chloe chuckled softly. "And some are just clueless about everything."  
  
"Ohhhh yeah... I'm clueless about a lot of things, I know... but not you, Chloe. I know you by heart."  
  
Chloe sighed and moved in to kiss him. When the kiss broke off, she took a deep breath. "Brady... I..." She so badly wanted to tell him that she loved him, but as usual something inside stopped her. "Nevermind..."  
  
Brady gave her a concerned glance. "Are you okay?"  
  
"Yeah, I just... I have this brick wall in my mind about sharing certain feelings, and I don't know how to break through it."  
  
"I understand..."  
  
"What am I going to do? It's not fair to just bottle these things up inside, is it?"  
  
"No... but... don't you think that maybe you need to find closure with your mother, and identity of your father before you can break down this wall?"  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"Think about it, Chloe. You've been abandoned by your mother, and countless other people throughout your life. Not only that, you've had the truth about your father and your birth withheld from you for your entire life. You need to deal with your past, before you can deal with commitment or the future or anything like that."  
  
"Wow... I guess you're right."  
  
Brady grinned in the darkness. "Of course I'm right, I'm always right... and that's because I'm the greatest boyfriend in history."  
  
Chloe laughed out loud. "Well, I tend to disagree with the first part of that... but the second part is a definite possibility."  
  
Brady pulled her closer to him and she nestled herself against his chest. He gently kissed her forehead and used his free hand to stroke her hair gently. Chloe sighed into his chest and they fell asleep in each other's arms.  
***  



	7. A Mother's Love

Chapter Seven  
  
(The next morning...Day Three of the Trip...)  
  
Chloe awoke early, and was still wrapped in Brady's arms. Her eyes fluttered open and she yawned quietly. Brady was still asleep and she used her fingers to stroke his bare arm from shoulder to wrist. She tried to enjoy this as much as she could; it was rare for her to be wide-awake and for Brady to look so vulnerable. Brady's face looked peaceful as he slept, except for that little space between his eyebrows that was wrinkled. Usually it meant he was mad, or tense, but right now Chloe thought it was adorable. Chloe leaned in and gave him a gentle kiss on the lips. As she pulled away, Brady's blue eyes opened and he smiled at her.  
  
Chloe smiled back at him. "Good morning... didn't mean to wake you up."  
  
"You didn't. I was already awake. I was just enjoying the moment."  
  
"Mmmm... me too."  
  
Brady leaned back and stretched his arms. "What time is it?"  
  
"It's early... very early."  
  
"Good... got things to do today... no more slacking off."  
  
Chloe nodded and sat all the way up. "So... Can I shower first, or do you want to?"  
  
Brady grinned slyly at her. "You mean, we can't do it at the same time?"  
  
Chloe dropped her jaw in shock and playfully hit Brady on the arm. "Brady... You should be ashamed of yourself."  
  
Brady looked at her innocently. "I know... I was just kidding."  
  
Chloe stood up and rolled her eyes. "Sure, sure, sure. I know what dirty thoughts go on in that head of yours."  
  
Chloe grabbed her stuff and went in to the bathroom and shut the door. Brady sighed and muttered under his breath. "No, Chloe... you have no idea."  
***  
  
After showers for both and a quick breakfast, Chloe sat down to make a few phone calls. She called Belle's hotel room, but she wasn't there. So, she left her a message saying that everything was going fine and they were both still in one piece. Brady called his father to tell him that he was having a 'great time in Chicago' and not to worry. Chloe tried to call home but only got the answering machine, so she hung up and dialed the number to Craig's office."  
  
"Hello, this is Dr. Wesley."  
  
"Craig? You're answering your own phone now? Where's Marcie?""  
  
"Chloe? It's so good to hear your voice. Marcie has the flu, so I'm kinda here by myself. How are you?"  
  
"I'm great, Craig. I... uhhh... can't talk long, because we're getting ready to go do some sightseeing. I just wanted to call and check in, but nobody was home."  
  
"Yeah, Nancy's out running errands today. So, are you having fun?"  
  
Chloe bit her lip, hating that she had to lie to Craig like this. "Yeah... It's beautiful here. I'll tell you all about it later. Tell Nancy I called, okay?"  
  
"You got it. Take care of yourself, alright?"  
  
"Of course. I'll call you guys again later."  
  
"Bye Chloe."  
  
"Bye." Chloe sighed, hung up the phone and looked over at Brady. "This sucks... I hate lying to Craig. This is the worst part."  
  
Brady nodded and took her hand. "I know... But you have no choice but to lie sometimes."  
  
Chloe sighed again and nodded. "Yeah, I know... but it still hurts. Even though I know it's the only way..."  
  
Brady shifted and decided to change the subject. "So, where do we start with this little adventure we're on today?"  
  
"Mmm... well. While you were in the shower, I made a few phone calls. The center where Nancy had me is closed now."  
  
"Well, that makes sense... Places like that don't exist in this day and age. I'm surprised there was one around as late as 1984."  
  
Chloe nodded. "Yeah, me too. It actually closed the year after I was born. Anyway, the center is closed but I called the county records division and they gave me the name of the woman who ran it up until the end." Chloe shuffled through the papers on the night table and pulled out the sheet she was looking for. "Let's see... here it is. Her name is... Mary Wexler."  
  
"Wow... you really have turned into a regular ol' Nancy Drew."  
  
Chloe grinned proudly. "Yeah, well... it was a lot easier than I thought actually. Maybe our luck has changed."  
  
"Okay, you have a name. Now what?"  
  
"Two things. First, we pray that she hasn't moved out of Boston. Secondly, we use the greatest tool ever provided to us Nancy-Drew-types. The phone book."  
  
Chloe grabbed the white pages out of the drawer and threw the book on the bed. She thumbed through the pages until she reached what she was looking for. "Welllllll... we ARE in luck. Wexler, Mary. 2311 Tremont. 555-4167."  
  
Brady reached for the phone and handed it to her. "Go for it... it's now or never."  
  
Chloe sighed nervously and dialed the numbers with shaky fingers. She took a deep breath when she heard the first ring, and a woman's voice pick up on the other end.  
  
"Hello...?"  
  
"Uhm, yes... is this Mary Wexler?"  
  
"I'm sorry, no it's not. She's not in right now, she's at a doctor's appointment."  
  
"But she does live there, right?"  
  
"Yes... but this is her daughter. Is there something I can do for you? Would you like me to leave her a message?"  
  
"Uhm... thank you, but actually I was hoping to speak to her personally."  
  
"Does she know you?"  
  
"No, but she knows my mother. Or at least she used to. My mother once stayed at the center that Mrs. Wexler used to run. I was born there, and given up for adoption. I just wanted to ask her a few questions, that's all."  
  
"Well, I'm sure she wouldn't mind talking to you. My mom always likes to hear about what happened to the girls that she has helped. She should be back soon... why don't you come here in an about an hour?"  
  
Chloe sighed in relief. "Oh, thank you so much. You have no idea how much that means to me."  
  
"You're welcome... the address is 2311 Tremont. Do you know how to get here?"  
  
"Yeah, I think so. I have a map and everything."  
  
"I don't think I caught your name, miss...?"  
  
"Oh sorry, it's Chloe. Chloe Lane."  
  
"Okay, Chloe... I'm Anne, by the way. I'll see you in about an hour then."  
  
"Yes, thank you Anne...Goodbye." Chloe hung up the phone and smiled brightly at Brady. "We're in luck. Not only is she still in Boston, but her daughter told me to come over in an hour to talk."  
  
Brady smiled and hugged her tightly. "Great news, Chloe... this is great news."  
  
Chloe held on to him tightly and sighed. "I hope so..."  
***  
  
(About an hour later...)  
  
Chloe and Brady stood at the front door of Mary Wexler's home, a beautiful Victorian style house with an enormous front porch. Brady had been holding her hand, but now leaned over and whispered in her ear. "You must be nervous, you have sweaty palms."  
  
Chloe cringed and let go of his hand and wiped it on her jeans. "Sorry about that... I can't help it though. My nerves are killing me."  
  
"It's alright, Chloe. But... I think maybe you should ring the doorbell instead of standing here for another 5 minutes. Unless Mrs. Wexler is friends with Miss Cleo and her psychic hotline, she probably doesn't know we're out here."  
  
Chloe laughed and leaned forward to ring the doorbell. They heard footsteps approaching the door, and it opened to reveal a petite middle-aged woman with short dark hair.  
  
"Hi... You must be Chloe. I'm Anne Wexler-Banks."  
  
Chloe stepped forward and shook her hand. "Nice to meet you, Anne. Thank you so much for inviting me here." Chloe paused and gestured towards Brady. "This is my boyfriend Brady Black."  
  
Brady smiled and also shook her hand. "Pleasure to meet you."  
  
Anne smiled. "You too, young man."  
  
Anne led them in to the entryway and closed the door behind them. "My mother is waiting in the living room for you. Follow me."  
  
Chloe took a deep breath to calm her nerves and followed Anne into the living room. The house was beautifully decorated with antiques and beautiful classic artwork. They stepped into the living room and Chloe saw a tiny, but healthy-looking, elderly woman sitting on the couch. She smiled at Chloe and stood to shake her hand.  
  
"Miss Lane, I presume?"  
  
Chloe shook her hand. "Yes ma'am... and this is Brady Black."  
  
Brady extended his hand and shook her hand gently. "Mrs. Wexler... nice to meet you."  
  
Mary waved him off and sat back down on the couch. "Please, children... call me Mary. Mrs. Wexler makes me feel old, and even though I am, I don't want to feel like it."  
  
Chloe and Brady smiled and nodded in unison. They sat together on the couch opposite from Mary, as her daughter took the chair nearest to her mother.  
  
"So... Chloe... why did you want to see me, dear?"  
  
Chloe shifted in her seat nervously and Brady clasped her hand as a show of moral support. "Well... Mrs... I mean, Mary... I know that you used to run a center for unwed mothers. My own mother came there when she was pregnant with me and I was born at your center."  
  
"Well, I met hundreds of young girls in my days there, I'm not sure if I'll be able to remember your mother. What was her name?"  
  
"Nancy... Nancy Miller. She was in college when she came there, I think she was about 20 or 21. It was in 1984."  
  
Mary nodded and smiled gently. "You're in luck. I'll never forget Nancy Miller. She wasn't like most of the girls that came there."  
  
"How do you mean?"  
  
"Well, dear, most of the girls I had there were troubled teenagers. Girls who had run away from home, did drugs, had a lot of problems. Nancy Miller was different. She was a good student, came from a good family, never had any behavior problems. Really, the last person you'd expect to end up in her situation."  
  
Chloe nodded sadly. "But she was raped..."  
  
"Well, not exactly. She knew the man already, he was much older than her from what I remember. Something about him being a friend of the family, he took advantage of her. Very sad. Her father wanted her to keep her pregnancy a secret and what better way than to ship her off to another state."  
  
"Yes, I know... But, that's all I know."  
  
"So, you have talked to your mother then?"  
  
"Yes... I actually live with her now. But, I don't know anything about my father."  
  
"And that's why you are here?"  
  
Chloe sighed softly. "Yes... She won't tell me who he is or where I can find him. Now I have to find him on my own."  
  
"I wish I knew... I would most certainly tell you, dear. But, I don't really know much about him."  
  
Chloe looked downward and tried to fight back the tears. Brady wrapped his arm around her and she laid her head on his shoulder and sighed. He looked at Mary with a pleading look in his eyes. "It's not just that, Mrs. Wexler... She wants to know everything she can about her past. Even if you can't tell her about her father... Please, just tell her what you can remember."  
  
"Of course... I'll tell her what I know."  
  
Brady smiled and nodded. "Thank you..."  
  
Mary turned to Chloe and spoke to her "Chloe... Even 17 years later, I still think it's one of the most beautiful names I've heard. A beautiful name for a beautiful girl. You know, your mother and I picked that name out together. She would talk to me about how someday she wanted to get away and travel the world, and I told her that she should give you a beautiful exotic name. She came up with Chloe, because it made her think of France... The night were you born... My, you were a difficult labor. You made your poor mother suffer for nearly 20 hours before you finally introduced yourself to us."  
  
Brady smiled and kissed the top of her head. "See... you've always been difficult."  
  
Mary smiled and continued. "And when you finally showed up... it made all 20 hours of it worthwhile. You were one of the most beautiful babies I have ever seen. And I've seen hundreds upon thousands of them. You had a head full of thick black hair, and the biggest eyes. You know, most babies don't really open their eyes much at first, but from the moment you were born until the moment you left here, you kept them wide open and you looked at everything and everyone with such curiosity. I remember it so well..."  
  
Chloe lifted her head up and smiled at Mary as the tears ran down her face. "Mary... did... did my mother ever love me?" Chloe felt a sob erupt from her throat.  
  
"Oh Chloe, dear... of course she did. And, I'm sure she always has too. Don't doubt that. When you were born she held on to you for 3 days and never let go. The labor pains felt like a walk in the park once she could hold you. She loved you dearly, and I know that she didn't want to give you up, but her father gave her no choice. If it had been up to him, you would have never been born... She was crushed when the county child services came to pick you up, and she had to sign those adoption papers. She went back home to Newport as soon as you were gone, and said she would never come back to Boston because she would just have a painful reminder of what she had to give up. Just because you weren't conceived of love, does not mean you weren't loved."  
  
Chloe sobbed harder and Brady held her closer to him. "Oh... that means so much... I've grown up for so long believing that she never loved me."  
  
Mary nodded in understanding. "I know, Chloe... Believe me, I've worked with cases like yours for my entire adult life. You've obviously been through a lot of pain in your life. But, you are young and you need to let go of it. You can't love or be loved if you have all this pain bogging you down."  
  
Brady looked at Mary and nodded. "That's partly why she's on this quest."  
  
Chloe straightened up in her seat and wiped the tears away. "I've been abandoned so many times and fooled by love, that I don't know what's real and what isn't most of the time. But this... is extremely helpful."  
  
"Well, you need closure, and you want the truth. But be careful with what you find out, dear... sometimes the truth can set you free, but sometimes... it only makes things worse."  
  
"I know... But, I can't just live my whole life without trying to find the truth."  
  
"Well, then I wish you luck... I hope it all works out for you."  
  
Chloe nodded and smiled weakly. "Thank you... I mean, REALLY thank you. Thank you for taking the time to talk to me, I can't even tell you how much it has meant to me."  
  
"You don't have to, dear. I'm glad to help... Besides, I always like to hear what is going on with the children I helped take care of. Would you please send your mother my best?"  
  
Chloe cringed slightly. "I would... but she doesn't even know I'm here. It's a long story, but she'd never let me do this with her knowledge."  
  
Mary stood and the others in the room followed her lead. She stepped towards Chloe and clasped her free hand. "Well then... you *really* need to be careful."  
  
Chloe chuckled softly. "I will be... Thank you again." She leaned in and gave Mary a hug.  
  
Mary smiled at her. "You're welcome. Please keep in touch with me, Chloe. And if you ever need anything, I'm here for you."  
  
"I will... thank you."  
  
Mary sat back down on her couch as Anne saw Brady and Chloe to the door. Chloe thanked her again for letting her stop by and they left through the front door. As the walked down the steps hand in hand, Brady turned to Chloe and smiled.   
  
"So... how ya feeling now?"  
  
Chloe paused and sighed. She turned her head up to look at Brady in the eyes. "Actually... pretty good. It's either incredibly amazing, or incredibly stupid that I couldn't believe it when it came from Nancy's mouth... but this... was totally different. I feel... better."  
  
"And, to think... we've only been gone for 3 days."  
  
"Yup..." Chloe paused and sighed. "And it's only the beginning."  
  
Chloe squeezed his hand and they walked towards his van.  
***  



	8. The Brady Black Guide to Having Fun

Chapter Eight  
  
After their meeting with Mary Wexler, Brady and Chloe decided to stop at a coffee shop nearby for lunch. After the plates had been cleared, they knew they had to decide what to do next.  
  
"Okay Chloe... where do we go from here?"  
  
Chloe took a sip of her water and shrugged slightly. "That's a good question. I guess the next logical step would be to go to Newport. I mean, that's where Nancy is from, and it's possible that my father might still be living there."  
  
"Good point... but how are we going to find him? I mean, Mary may have been a help in one way, but we're still no closer to finding your father."  
  
Chloe sighed and bit her lip nervously. "I know... But, I have a lot of information on Nancy... where she lived, where she went to school, who her friends were, the whole nine yards."  
  
"So, you're thinking we do a little interrogation and exploration?"  
  
"Exactly."  
  
Brady nodded in agreement. "Alright... if I remember it right from Belle's maps, Newport is only about 70 miles away. We can head out there now even."  
  
Chloe shook her head. "Nope... not now. Tomorrow."  
  
Brady looked at her in shock. "Tomorrow? I thought you'd want to get started right away."  
  
Chloe shrugged slightly. "Yes... and no. I mean, it's only about a 90 minute drive, so we can just leave tomorrow."  
  
"Huh? Is this the same Chloe I know? The same Chloe that is so completely focused on one thing that she won't stop until it's finished?"  
  
Chloe chuckled and gave him a wicked smile. "It is the same Chloe. But, with one slight alteration. Brady, we are 1100 miles away from Salem. We still have 10 days before we have to be home, and if we have to drive to Newport, Rhode Island... well, I want to have some fun first."  
  
"Are you serious?"  
  
"YES! Completely serious... I know this trip wasn't meant as a vacation, but I feel good today, and I think we can afford to take the next 18 hours off. Don't you?"  
  
Brady grinned at her. "Well, actually... I was kind of wanting to do something fun while we're here too, but I was too afraid to suggest it. I thought *you* wouldn't be up for it. So, I'm game if you are."  
  
Chloe smiled widely, clapped her hands together and leaned over the table to give Brady a quick kiss. "Yay...I win."  
  
Brady smiled and couldn't help but think about how beautiful she looked when she was happy. He only hoped that he would see more of those happy smiles in the future. She had been through enough bad times, and deserved to be happy. "Well then, party girl... let's get outta here..."  
  
Brady laid down cash for the bill and the tip and grabbed Chloe's hand. She stood up and kissed him again. "Alright... so where we going first?"  
  
"Hmmm... I have a few ideas." Brady winked at her, threw an arm around her waist and led her outside to the parking lot.  
***  
  
Brady and Chloe spent the rest of their afternoon visiting some of Boston's more famous tourist spots. Chloe particularly enjoyed the trip to the New England Aquarium and visiting Boston Harbor, making sure to pick up souvenirs for Shawn and Belle. It was a beautiful summer day and standing in the harbor with the ocean breeze on her face, Chloe hadn't felt this good in a very long time.  
  
They had been sitting on a bench that faced the waters and all of the ships that sat in the harbor. Chloe leaned into Brady and placed her head on his shoulder.  
  
She sighed and whispered. "Thank you, Brady..."  
  
"Thank you for what?"  
  
"For this day..."  
  
"Don't thank me yet, Chloe... the day is not over."  
  
Chloe picked her head up and grinned at him. "Oh yeah? Don't tell me there's more? I mean, geez Brady, you've never even been to Boston but you seem to know where all the great spots are..." Chloe raised one eyebrow and looked at him suspiciously.  
  
"Well, Belle gave us all those guidebooks to 'New England' so I read those a little. Plus, my dad and Marlena have been here a few times and they always talked about it."  
  
"Well, any way that you've received your encyclopedic knowledge of the Boston area.. I'm glad for it."  
  
"And, like I was saying... that's not at all." Brady clasped her hand and stood from the bench. "Follow me please..."  
  
Chloe smiled and did as told. "What next, Mr. Black?"  
  
"You'll see... you'll see."  
***  
  
Brady took Chloe to Beacon Hill, one of Boston's most renowned marketplaces. They stood outside an upscale women's clothing store, hand in hand, as Chloe looked up in awe. "Brady, what are we doing here?"  
  
"I thought we'd become street performers, you know. All I need is a cup for people to throw change into. Whaddya think?"  
  
Chloe playfully smacked his arm and laughed. "No seriously... why are we here? I know it's not because I can afford to buy a new dress. Because, frankly, I can't."  
  
"Yes, you can. Just go in there... try on some things. Find one that you like and when I get back from my shopping that I have to do... I'll pay for it."  
  
Chloe shook her head vehemently. "No, no way. I can't let you do that."  
  
Brady silenced her with a kiss. "Yes... you can. And you will. Besides, I plan on taking you to a very nice dinner after we leave her and you can't go in a pair of jeans."  
  
Chloe nodded knowingly. "Oh... so it's just because you're ashamed to be seen with a slob."  
  
Brady chuckled. "Yeah. Right. That's it. Now, get in there and shop. I'll be back in about 45 minutes, okay?"  
  
Chloe smiled at him and gave him a kiss. "45 minutes. No problem."  
  
Brady let go of her and watched her as she walked into the store. He turned around and headed a few stores away to get his self something to wear tonight.  
***  
(45 minutes later...)  
  
Chloe stood at the checkout counter with her garment bag in hand. She had chosen a tight-fitting midnight blue dress that hit right above the knee. It was made of a material that would shimmer when it hit the light, and had small spaghetti straps to show off every inch of Chloe's well-defined shoulders.  
  
While she waited she made idle conversation with the saleswoman, glossing over all the unnecessary parts of course. No reason to bring up all the depressing bits with a complete stranger. Chloe heard the bell at the door jingle and she turned to see Brady walk in carrying a couple bags of his own. He walked over and gave her a quick kiss.  
  
"So, did you get a paint-the-town-red kinda dress?"  
  
Chloe grinned at him. "Maaaaaybe... you'll just have to see."  
  
"I can't wait..." Brady grinned back at her and quickly paid the saleswoman. Brady and Chloe left the store hand in hand, and walked towards the van together. Brady glanced at the receipt quickly and shoved it into his pocket.  
  
"Wow, Chloe... I got off cheaper than I expected."  
  
"Hey... I'm not in this relationship so you can buy my love. I got what I wanted, and if it just so happened to be on sale... then so be it."  
  
"Awwwww. I've always kinda wanted to be your sugar daddy, you know."  
  
Chloe waved a finger at him teasingly. "Oh, no no no. You know I can't stand for that. I'm far too independent to let someone take care of me like that."  
  
Brady pulled her closer to him as they stood outside the passenger door to the van. "I know that, and I wouldn't have you any other way. But... you gotta let me do something nice for you every now and then."  
  
Chloe grinned and gave him a kiss. "Well... if you insist... I guess I'll have to let you."  
  
Brady laughed and helped her into the van.  
***  
(Back at the hotel...)  
  
Chloe stood in the bathroom staring in the mirror once again. She knew that she didn't have much time to get ready, so she had left her hair down and straight, and used hair clips to keep the sides away from her face. She spent a little more time on her makeup, doing everything she could to show off what she thought was Brady's favorite part of her, her wide blue eyes. Between the color of her dress and the eye makeup, it made her eyes glow an even brighter blue than usual. She put a light layer of lip gloss on and did a quick head to toe check to make sure that everything was in it's place. Satisfied with everything, she slowly opened the bathroom door and stepped out into the room.  
  
Brady was so taken aback by her beauty that he immediately stood from where he was sitting on the edge of the bed. He walked over to her and smiled. "Chloe... you look amazing. I think you get more beautiful every day."  
  
Chloe smiled shyly. "Well, thank you... I just think you have ulterior motives for saying things like that."  
  
Brady shook his head. "Absolutely not... Remember how you told me that you always mean what you say? Well, that's where we agree. I always mean what I say, and when I tell you that you're beautiful... believe it."  
  
Chloe smiled again and leaned in to kiss him. "Thank you then... By the way, you don't look too bad yourself."  
  
Brady grinned and stepped back. He then proceeded to spin as if he was modeling on a catwalk. Chloe nodded approvingly. He had picked out a black suit, and underneath he wore a shimmery midnight blue dress shirt and a tie that matched. He looked absolutely gorgeous in Chloe's eyes, and the suit fit every inch of him perfectly.  
  
Chloe raised her eyebrows suspiciously. "Now, how in the world did you manage to buy a shirt & tie that matches my dress that you have never seen before?"  
  
Brady laughed softly. "I swear. It's just a coincidence. It's not like I stuck a hidden camera on you or something. Besides, I have blue eyes too, you know... and the salesperson at the store said the blue would bring out my eyes."  
  
"Oh, so she was hitting on you, then?"  
  
"No... and it was a he."  
  
Chloe laughed. "Well, that doesn't mean anything..."  
  
"True... but you know I only have eyes for one person."  
  
Chloe grinned. "One person besides Cameron Diaz..."  
  
Brady laughed and pulled her close to him. "Nope, only you." She smiled up at him and he pulled her in for a deep kiss.  
  
Chloe pulled away and sighed. "Wow... that was definitely worth messing up my lipstick."  
  
Brady chuckled and wiped his lips making sure that none had rubbed off on him. "Well, I'm glad you see it that way. Now, we have a dinner to go to... "  
  
Brady held out his arm for Chloe and she wrapped hers around it, as he led her out of their room and towards their car.  
***  
  
After dinner at a small, quiet, intimate seafood restaurant. Chloe and Brady walked arm in arm up the street until Brady found what he was looking for. When he had found the restaurant in his guidebook earlier that day, he also noticed that this small bar & grill was right up the street. They stood at the entrance together, but Chloe looked up apprehensively.  
  
"Brady... I don't think we can go in there. We're a little too young to be hanging out in bars."  
  
Brady shook his head. "Nahhh... we'll be fine. Just order water or soda and nobody will care. We both look old enough anyway."  
  
Chloe shrugged and followed him in nervously. Brady led her to a small booth and they both ordered bottled water. Chloe looked around and noticed a small stage set up towards the front.  
  
"Huh... I wonder what that stage is for."  
  
Brady looked at her in mock amazement. "Oh you mean... I didn't tell you?"  
  
Chloe looked at him nervously. "Didn't tell me WHAT?"  
  
"It's a karaoke bar."  
  
"Oh."  
  
"Which means... you're going to sing and so am I."  
  
Chloe shook her head. "Brady... you know I'm not normally shy about my singing but I don't think that they have any Italian arias that I can do. And even if they did, opera isn't a real crowd pleaser in a bar full of drinkers."  
  
"Don't worry, Chloe. It's just for fun. Just get up there and do something fun."  
  
Chloe cringed in her seat. "I don't even know what I would sing... Just pick something for me. Anything... just get it over with."  
  
Brady grinned. "Anything?"  
  
Chloe placed one hand on her forehead in frustration. "I guess so... you said have fun... so let's have some." She sighed softly and Brady almost chuckled at the look of frustration in her face.  
  
Brady stood up and walked over to talk to the person setting up the stage. He returned to the booth and minutes later a woman's voice came over the mike.  
  
"Hi everyone. Welcome to karaoke night here at Murphy's. My name is Shannon, and I'll be hosting tonight's festivities. We've got a few people signed up already, but we could always use a few more willing singers so come up here and look at our song list. Alright?"  
  
The crowd clapped and Shannon continued. "Okay... our first singer tonight is named..." she shuffled the papers she had in her hand. "Chloe! Come on up, Chloe."  
  
Chloe sighed and gave Brady a look that could kill. He just smiled at her and gave her two thumbs up. She shook her head in frustration and headed towards the stage. She smiled at Shannon and stood in front of the mike. When the title of the song came up on the screen, Chloe's jaw dropped in shock.  
  
"BRADY! You jerk!"  
  
Brady gave her a look of complete innocence. "Hey... you told me to pick ANYTHING, and apparently the folks here in Boston are huge fans of this song."  
  
Chloe groaned but as the music started, she decided to let go and be free. She had promised herself that she would have fun tonight and if she had to let loose in a karaoke bar, even to a Britney Spears song, then she would. She moved her body to the music and began singing.  
  
"Oh baby baby, how was I supposed to know... that something wasn't right here..."  
  
Three and half minutes later, Chloe received a standing ovation for her stirring rendition of "Baby One More Time" As a payback, Chloe forced Brady into singing "Bye Bye Bye", her favorite NSync song. Both of them spent the rest of the night picking songs out for each other, all of them fun and upbeat, they were even talked into singing a duet on "I Got You Babe". The crowd really seemed to love them, and they had a blast singing and listening to the rest of the karaoke singers.   
  
Chloe had just finished singing a powerful "I Will Survive" and sat down in the booth across from Brady. She sighed and smiled happily at Brady.  
  
"Brady... I didn't know I could have this much fun. I've always been so serious about my singing, and I love doing it, but I almost forgot how much fun I could have with music."  
  
Brady grinned at her and placed his hand on top of hers. "See... it's all about letting loose sometimes. You had fun with it, and you sound better than ever tonight."  
  
Chloe gasped in mock amazement. "You mean you don't have anything negative to say when it comes to my singing tonight?"  
  
Brady shook his head. "Absolutely not... This is what I've been trying to tell you all along. You may have been out there singing pop songs or disco songs, but you opened up and and let yourself have fun with it. Music comes from every part of you, the good and the bad. So, when you sing something sad... like opera... then you need to lay yourself out there for all the world to see. Use what you have inside and express it through your songs."  
  
Chloe nodded seriously. "I know... but you know how hard it is for me to express my emotions in day to day life. So, it's even harder to expose myself through my singing."  
  
"But, you did it tonight. You took the happiness that you have inside, and the yearning to have fun and poured it into the music. I mean, Chloe... I'm a lot like you, but also very different. I have a hard time expressing my feelings in words some times too, but when it comes to music, I can just let it out."  
  
Chloe sighed thoughtfully. "You're right... maybe I would feel less stressed if I could open up like that all the time."  
  
"You would, I guarantee it."  
  
Chloe grinned at him. "Well, a patented Brady Black guarantee is good enough for me then. Anyway... it's getting kinda late... You ready to go home?"  
  
Brady looked at her for a moment and shook his head. "Not yet... I have one more song I need to do."  
  
Chloe groaned. "Allllllright.... fine then."  
  
"Hey, don't get fussy. You'll like it."  
  
Brady took a sip of his water just as Shannon was calling him to come back up to the stage. Brady stood up and grabbed Chloe's hand.  
  
"Come on, Chloe."  
  
She looked at him with raised eyebrows. "It's not another duet, is it? We're no Sonny and Cher, you know..."  
  
Brady shook his head and grinned at her. "Nooooo, it's not a duet. I just need you to come closer to the stage so you can.... hear better."  
  
Chloe sighed and followed him to the stage. Brady got up on stage and took the microphone out of the stand as Chloe stood at the edge of the stage and looked up at him. He nodded at Shannon who began the CD. Brady smiled and winked at Chloe and began singing.  
  
**I've been searching a long time  
For someone exactly like you  
I've been traveling all around the world  
Waiting for you to come through  
  
Someone like you, makes it all worthwhile  
Someone like you, keeps me satisfied  
Someone exactly like you**  
  
Chloe felt like her heart was going to explode into her chest. Brady wasn't just singing a song with beautiful words, he was singing it to her. He was feeling the words and showing Chloe a piece of himself through a song written by somebody else. Brady stepped off the stage and grabbed her hand. He looked deep into her eyes, making sure that she knew these words were meant for her.  
  
**I've been traveling' a hard road  
Looking for someone exactly like you  
I've been carrying my heavy load  
Waiting for the light to come shining through  
  
Someone like you, makes it all worthwhile  
Someone like you, keeps me satisfied  
Someone exactly like you  
  
I've been doin' some soul searching  
to find out where you're at  
I've been up and down the highway  
In all kinds of foreign lands  
  
Someone like you, makes it all worthwhile  
Someone like you, keeps me satisfied  
Someone exactly like you**  
  
Chloe smiled at him, and he pulled her into his arms and began dancing with her as he sang into the cordless mic. They were in a bar full of people, but instead of feeling embarrassed or shy, Chloe felt like they were the only two people in the room.  
  
**I've been all around the world  
Marching to the beat of a different drum  
But just lately I have realized  
The best is yet to come  
  
Someone like you, makes it all worthwhile  
Someone like you, keeps me satisfied  
Someone exactly like you  
  
The best is yet to come...**  
  
The music ended as Brady set the mic down and pulled Chloe in for a deep kiss. Chloe became lost in his embrace for a moment, but was pulled from her reverie by the sound of people clapping and cheering around her. She broke off from Brady's kiss and noticed the crowd in the room cheering for Brady. She cringed in embarrassment and could feel her cheeks flushing red. She smiled and Brady and muttered under her breath. "That was amazing..."  
  
"Well, now you see what I mean about things I am unable to say in my own words."  
  
Chloe nodded and smiled in understanding. Brady gave a quick, polite bow to the crowd and squeezed Chloe's hand. "Ready to go?"  
  
Chloe nodded. "Have to... It's better to go out on a peak like that."  
  
Brady grinned and waved goodbye to Shannon and led Chloe to the exit.  
***  
  
Chloe and Brady walked into their hotel room hand in hand, and floating on air.  
  
"Hey Brady... I've got an idea... Why don't we start a band?"  
  
Brady raised one eyebrow, in a style most certainly passed on from his father. "A band? What... like Chloe and the Pussycats?"  
  
Chloe laughed and rolled her eyes. "Nooooo... "  
  
"Oh. So, then the Partridge Family? No wait, I got it... My name is Brady, and Shawn's last name is Brady... so we can be the Brady Bunch?"  
  
Chloe groaned, but laughed anyway. "Ha ha. Very funny. Just make fun of my idea then."  
  
Brady gave her a look of mock innocence. "Making fun? No, not at all... I've always wanted to drive a psychedelic bus."  
  
"Well, give your van a groovy coat of paint and you're halfway there. So, maybe it's a silly idea... But, I was just caught up in my karaoke haze."  
  
"Well, it's not entirely silly... but wait until you see the look on Shawn's and Belle's faces when I tell them all about karaoke night."  
  
Chloe laughed and resisted the urge to cringe with embarrassment. "They'll just want to know why we didn't bring a video camera."  
  
Brady laughed and smiled at Chloe. "You know something, Chloe... I'm glad that you said we could take the rest of the day off."  
  
Chloe smiled and moved closer to Brady. "Me too... this day was perfect."  
  
Brady wrapped his arms around her waist and moved her even closer to him. "I agree... but it was only this good because I could spend it with you."  
  
Chloe smiled at him and sighed. "Thank you... Thank you for today. You have a bright future with the Boston Tourism Council ahead of you."  
  
Brady chuckled softly. "Yeah, well... you deserve to have some fun once in awhile. Not everything has to be about pain and strife."  
  
"You too, Brady. I'm glad to finally see you smiling about things."  
  
"Well... I finally have reasons to. I can walk again, Marlena and I have made amends, and I have this wonderful girl in my life who makes me happy."   
  
Brady smiled at her and moved in towards her. He pressed his warm soft lips against hers and Chloe felt every inch of her body warm up. Brady's kisses were like nothing she had ever known before, and they made her want to melt into a puddle on the floor. He pulled her tighter, and deepened the kiss. She felt his body pressing against her own, his strong chest and she would swear that she could hear his heart beating faster underneath his clothes. The kiss gradually became more intense and Chloe didn't know how they were going to stop themselves from going any further. A momentary lapse of control drove Chloe to place her hands on the lapel of his jacket and slide it off his shoulders and to the floor behind him.  
  
Chloe ran her hands up his lean strong arms and undid his tie and threw it to the floor. Brady ran one hand up from her waist over her back to the top of her dress. He moved her zipper down and Chloe moaned as she felt his warm hand glide down her bare back and over the back of her strapless bra.  
  
As Chloe was undoing the buttons on Brady's dress shirt, he began to kiss her shoulders and pull the spaghetti straps on her dress away from them slowly. She opened his shirt and ran her hands up his bare chest as Brady pulled the material of her dress just far enough down to expose the front of her blue strapless bra. He held her closer and planted a soft kisses from one side of her neck to the other. One of his hands drifted from her waist and gently brushed against her left breast.   
  
Chloe shuddered suddenly and jumped away from Brady. She put one hand on her neck where his mouth had just been and took a deep breath in.  
  
Brady looked at her in pure confusion. "Chloe... Are you okay? What's wrong?"  
  
Chloe stammered and she could feel the tears welling up in her eyes. "Brady... I... I... can't..."  
  
She looked at him with pain in her eyes, pulled her dress back over her shoulders and ran into the bathroom, locking the door behind her.  
***  



	9. Therapy Session

Chapter Nine  
  
Chloe locked the bathroom door and slid to the floor beside the shower. Her entire body was racked with sobs, and her hot tears spilled down her face. She wanted to close her eyes, but all she could see was the man in the bathroom. He had kissed and touched her in the same places Brady had and she felt chills run up her spine at the memories of the attack.  
  
Through her sobs, Chloe cried out. "It's not fair... oh God... it's just not fair."  
  
She didn't realize that she had said that out loud until she heard Brady speak through the door.  
  
"Chloe... what's not fair? Please talk to me... I didn't mean to hurt you."  
  
Chloe sighed and tried to slow her sobbing. "Brady... Just leave me alone, please. Just for a while. I'm sorry... I just need to be alone."  
  
"Alright, whatever you want. But, I'm out here if you need me."  
  
Chloe nodded even though she knew that Brady couldn't see her through the door. "Okay..."  
  
On the other side of the door, Brady sighed and placed one hand on the wooden door. He paused there for a moment hoping that when Chloe came out, she wouldn't hate him. He knew that it was too soon and that things were going too far, but it was hard to control himself when he was around her.  
  
Brady moved away from the door and picked his jacket and tie off the floor and placed it on the chair. He decided to make a pot of coffee on the hotel's coffee pot and change into some more comfortable clothes. He noticed the light in the bathroom turn off as he settled into the chair at the small table with his coffee and a book.  
  
Inside the bathroom, Chloe let her sobs flow freely until she felt she had nothing left inside her. She closed her eyes tightly and prayed to God for the strength to get past all of this.   
  
Chloe was grateful that the attack in the bathroom had been stopped before it went any further, but deep down she felt like life had handed her another raw deal. Between the OperaGirl website and having a stranger grope her, Chloe felt like her body wasn't hers anymore, and it just wasn't fair.  
  
She wiped the tears off of her face and reached one hand up to turn the light off. She kept her eyes closed and let the darkness envelop her. She felt emotionally drained inside, and let her weariness take over as she drifted off to sleep.  
***  
  
(About an hour later...)  
  
Brady was still lying on the bed reading when Chloe stepped slowly out of the bathroom. She had changed out of her blue dress and was wrapped in the white terry cloth bathrobe.  
  
Brady immediately looked up and tossed his book aside.  
  
Chloe looked away from him but whispered a weak, "Hi."  
  
"I uhm... made some coffee. It might still be warm if you want some."  
  
Chloe nodded and walked over to the coffee pot to pour herself a cup. She sat down on the bed and faced Brady as she sipped her coffee. "So, how long have I been in there?"  
  
Brady quickly checked his watch. "About an hour."  
  
"Brady..."  
  
"No, Chloe... let me speak first. I'm so incredibly sorry. I shouldn't have let things go that far. It's too soon for us to go that far, and you're not ready. I will never push you into something that you don't want to do. I promise."  
  
Chloe sighed deeply. "I agree, Brady. It is too soon and I'm not ready to make that step yet. But... that's not why I ran away."  
  
Brady looked at her in confusion. "It's not?"  
  
"No... You kissed me, and touched me in the same places that the man at the Quik-Stop did. It just all came flooding back... and I couldn't handle it. I thought I was stronger than that, but I'm not."  
  
"Oh God, Chloe, I am so sorry... I didn't even think first. But, please know that you ARE strong, but you're not empty inside. It's perfectly natural for you to feel violated. Don't try to deny the feelings that you're having about the attack."  
  
Chloe nodded in agreement. "I know... it's just so much more complicated than just that."  
  
"Well... you can tell me anything. I'm here to listen."  
  
Chloe closed her eyes for a second and swallowed hard. She opened her eyes and looked at Brady. "Okay... See, the only person in my life that I've ever been intimate with at all was Phillip. We never went all the way or anything, but we came pretty close once. You don't really need to know the all the details of that, but let me just mention that the only reason I let Phillip get that close to me was because of trust. I trusted him, and I gave him access to things that I have always kept private."  
  
Brady listened intently and reached one hand over to rest on Chloe's. She gladly let him and continued. "But... then everything fell apart. I had nude photos taken of me without my knowledge. People logged into a website and paid money to see them, and then they were put up in front of my entire school. People that wouldn't even speak to me in the hallway have now seen parts of me that nobody else has."  
  
Chloe paused and used her free hand to wipe the tears from her face. "Then, to really put the icing on the cake. This... I hate to even call him a man... because that's too kind of a phrase... this man... he hurt me, Brady."  
  
Chloe broke off because she was unable to speak anymore. Brady moved to the bed beside her and placed one arm around her shoulder and let her head rest on his chest as she cried.  
  
"Chloe... I know that you've been hurt, but... you fought back. You didn't let Jan and Mimi get away with their schemes, and it's because of your strength that the attack ended before it got worse. You fought back and you're going to keep on fighting."  
  
Chloe lifted her head up and looked Brady in the eyes. "Thank you so much for believing in me... I couldn't make it through all this if I didn't have you. But... I don't know what else I can do. I feel like... my body doesn't belong to me anymore. It's not fair to me, and it's not fair to you either. The only person who should be that intimate with me is someone who I care about and trust... you. But, I feel like I've been taken advantage of so a few people can get their sick twisted little rocks off."  
  
"You are going to get past this, you will never forget it, but you CAN move on. You have to remember something though... those people only wanted to make themselves happy. They didn't care about you. When I'm with you, it's not because I want to make myself happy... it's because I want you to be happy. I never want to cause you unhappiness, Chloe."  
  
"And you don't... ever. And that's why it's not fair. I can't separate the two. Any kind of sexual encounter is going to remind me of the bad things, not the good things."  
  
Brady nodded silently, and Chloe continued. "So... what do I do now?"  
  
Brady looked surprised. "You're asking ME?"  
  
"Yeah... you seem to be pretty wise and all-knowing lately..."  
  
"Well... Honestly?" Chloe nodded for him to continue. "Maybe you need to see a therapist..."  
  
"So, they can tell me I'm crazy..."  
  
"Chloe... you are NOT crazy. What you're feeling is to be expected. But, I can't fix you, and I'm not saying that a psychiatrist CAN... But, at least it's a place to go where an unbiased voice can listen to you, and maybe give you the tools you need to move past all of this."  
  
Chloe nodded understandingly. "You're right... Of course, you're right."  
  
"Listen... when we get back to Salem... if you want to talk to Marlena, I know she'd be glad to help. Or if you'd rather talk to another doctor that you don't know already, she can recommend one of her colleagues."  
  
"Thanks, Brady... I'd really appreciate that. I just, try to remain in denial for so long sometimes and fix everything myself that I don't realize that I can't always do that. I need help. I can't do it all alone."  
  
Brady gently brushed a piece of hair off of her face and smiled. "You're not alone, Chloe. I know you've felt that way for your whole life, but things have changed. You have me now, and Belle, and Shawn... and well, that basically makes you an honorary member of the Bradys, the Hortons and the Black family. That's pretty much everyone in Salem, you know."  
  
Chloe smiled at first, but then broke into laughter. "Wow... you're right. That IS the whole town."  
  
Brady grinned at her. "See... I knew I could get you to smile eventually."  
  
Chloe looked at him with complete seriousness. "Thank you, Brady. I... I don't know what I'd do without you."  
  
Brady smiled and rolled back on to the bed, bringing Chloe with him. He laid flat on his back and she rested her head on his chest. "You'd be sooooo bored, Chloe Lane."  
  
Chloe chuckled. "But, probably a whole lot less aggravated all the time."  
  
"Hey... I only pick on you because you're such an easy target." Brady kissed the top of her head and she smiled.  
  
"Well, you're the ONLY person I let pick on me. I hope you feel special."  
  
Brady gently stroked her hair. "You have no idea..."  
  
They continued chatting on into the night about less serious subjects until Chloe drifted off to sleep in Brady's arms. He slowly reached over and turned the lamp off, giving her a quick kiss on the forehead before settling in to fall asleep.  
***  



	10. Pre-Newport

Chapter Ten  
  
(Day Four...)  
  
Chloe awoke before Brady. She was still wrapped in his arms with her head on his chest. One of her hands was on his stomach, but the other one felt strangely numb. She slowly lifted her head from his body and noticed that one of her hands was underneath Brady's back. She tried to slide it out, but it was completely asleep and his body weight was too much. She used her other hand to gently tap him on the forehead and whispered in a hoarse voice.  
  
"Braaaady... Braaaaady... wake up please..."  
  
Brady's blue eyes fluttered open slowly and he half smiled at Chloe. "Good morning, beautiful."  
  
Brady leaned forward for a kiss but Chloe stopped him. "Can I please have my hand back now?"  
  
Brady groaned and moved so Chloe could slip her hand out. She smiled happily at Brady and gave him the kiss that he had wanted. "Thank you."  
  
The phone on Chloe's side of the bed began to ring and Chloe went to reach for it, but made the mistake of doing so with her numb hand. Instead of being able to pick it up she knocked it off the hook and on to the floor. Brady began to laugh uncontrollably as Chloe yelled out. "AHHHH! My hand is ASLEEP!"  
  
She laughed with him at first, but then remembered the phone was still on the floor. She grabbed the handset off the floor and tried to contain her laughter.  
  
"Uhm... hello."  
  
"Chloe? Is everything okay?"  
  
Chloe laughed again. "Oh geez, Belle... yeah. I just... my hand fell asleep and I knocked the phone off the table."  
  
Belle laughed nervously on the other end. "Ohhhh ooookay... How's your trip going?"  
  
"Fine... I talked to the woman who was there when I was born. It was so great, Belle. I really learned so much."  
  
"Oh, I'm so happy for you, Chloe... that's such good news."  
  
"Yeah, uhm... Brady and I are going to Newport today to kinda dig up what we can on Nancy's life."  
  
"So, everything is going good then?"  
  
Chloe paused. She so desperately wanted to tell Belle about the attack. Belle was her best friend and would want to know about it, but now was not the time. She didn't want to ruin Belle's vacation, and telling her over the phone wasn't a good idea either. "Uhm... yeah. Pretty much... so far. A few bumps in the road, but nothing to worry about."  
  
Belle sounded skeptical. "A few bumps in the road? What happened?"  
  
"Nothing, Belle... everything is fine. We'll talk about it when you get home..."  
  
"Okay, Chloe... whatever you say. But take care of yourself, okay?"  
  
"I will... I promise. Now, what about you? How is it down in paradise?"  
  
Belle chuckled over the phone. "It's great... it's so beautiful here. I wish you could have come, but I know you had more important things to do. Anyway, I called to tell you that we're going to be away from phone contact for a few days now. We're heading out to the island in a few minutes, so I'm glad you left your number when you called yesterday."  
  
"How's the little treasure hunt going?"  
  
"Good actually. I think I've got this map and these clues all figured out. We just have to keep it quiet from the rest of the class."  
  
"Well, good luck on your expedition but be careful, please. Something about this whole thing just doesn't seem right."  
  
"We will... Shawn and I know what we're doing. I hope."  
  
"Just be careful... you wanna talk to your brother real quick?"  
  
"Yeah, put him on. Bye Chloe."  
  
"Bye Belle." Chloe smiled and handed the phone to Brady, only half-listening to their conversation as she pulled some clean clothes out of her suitcase.  
  
"Hey sis... how's it going?"  
  
"Hey... I'm gonna be late for the boat, but I just wanted ask you if Chloe really IS okay. She doesn't sound like it to me."  
  
Brady sighed and spoke softly, hoping that Chloe wouldn't overhear. "She is... or she will be eventually."  
  
"Okay, if you say so. But Brady, please take care of her and take care of yourself too. She's one of my best friends, and uhm, don't tell Eric, but you are definitely my favorite half-brother..."  
  
Brady laughed out loud. "Awww... don't be so hard on Eric."  
  
"I'm not... it's just I grew up with you, and not him. But that's not my point. My point is... I don't want anything bad to happen either of you... so take care of yourselves. Please, Brady."  
  
"I will, I promise. And, same to you, kiddo. Tell Shawn Brady that if you don't return from Puerto Rico in one completely unscarred piece, I will hurt him severely."  
  
Belle laughed at Brady's overprotectiveness of her. "Okaaaay... you sound just like dad sometimes. Anyway, I gotta go. Shawn is freaking because I'm running late. Take care, Brady."  
  
"You too, sis." Brady heard the click from Belle's end of the phone and he silently prayed that he could keep his promise to his sister. Please God, don't let anything else go wrong...   
  
Chloe finished getting her stuff out of her suitcase and smiled at Brady. "Hey... I'm gonna go take a shower now... we gotta get going if we want to make it to Newport early enough to get anything done today."  
  
Brady smiled and stood from the bed. "Go ahead... I'll make some coffee."  
  
Brady walked over to the coffee pot and watched Chloe go into the bathroom and shut the door. He sighed thoughtfully and wondered if this trip to Newport would only cause Chloe more pain in her life. He hoped not, because he wouldn't be able to bear it if she got hurt again.  
***  
  
After Chloe had finished her shower, Brady took his turn. She finished running the brush through her hair and sat down in front of the phone. She stared at it thoughtfully for a moment before finally picking it up and dialing.  
  
"Hello..."  
  
"Nancy... It's me."  
  
"Chloe, honey, I'm so glad you called. Craig told me that you called yesterday."  
  
"Yeah, I'm sorry I missed you."  
  
"That's okay... so how's your trip going?"  
  
Chloe paused and twirled the phone cord between her fingers. "Fine... Great really. I just wanted to check in real quick. We're getting ready to get on the boat to the island, and I'm not going to be able to call for a few days."  
  
"Well, be careful out there."  
  
"I will..."  
  
"I hope you're taking lots of pictures."  
  
Chloe chuckled. "Not as many as Belle..." Or at least that's what Chloe would guess, Belle will probably have 25 rolls of film to develop when she gets home.  
  
"And everyone is behaving themselves?"  
  
"Yessss... of course. Hey... I gotta go or I'm going to be late for the boat. Sorry to cut things so short." Chloe didn't want to spend any more time on the phone lying through her teeth like that.  
  
"It's okay... I'm glad you called. Have fun, Chloe."  
  
"I will... Thanks, Mom."  
  
Nancy paused before saying a final goodbye, and as Chloe hung up the phone she realized why. She had called Nancy 'mom', something that didn't normally happen for any reason, but this time it just rolled off the tongue. Chloe didn't know why it happened, but she imagined it was because she was finally staring to accept Nancy as her mother. She could only hope that Nancy wouldn't hate her once her lies were found out.  
  
Chloe stood up as Brady was leaving the bathroom.  
  
"Hey... did you call your mom?"  
  
"Yeah..." Chloe paused and sighed deeply. "So, how mad do you think she'll be when she finds out that I've been lying to her?"  
  
Brady stuffed a few things into his suitcase and looked back at her. "I don't know... Your mom is pretty crazy about that stuff sometimes."  
  
"I know she's not going to be keen on the fact that her 17 year old daughter basically ran away from home. I just hope that she'll understand why I did it."  
  
Brady stood up and walked towards her. "Chloe, I know there are a lot of things that she doesn't want you to find out. But, if she really does love you then she'll understand. Sure, she'll be mad... really mad... but in the long run, she'll know that you did the right thing."  
  
Chloe looked unsure for a moment. "Am I really doing the right thing?"  
  
"Of course you are. It's perfectly natural to want to know your where you came from."  
  
"I hope you're right, Brady. Because, no matter what, she's the only mother I've got."  
  
Brady pulled her into his arms and stroked her hair with one hand. "Don't worry... everything will work out."  
  
Chloe looked up and smiled at Brady. "Well... if you say so... But, if it doesn't I'm blaming you."  
  
Brady looked thoughtful for a moment, then nodded. "Okay, I can accept that."  
  
Chloe laughed out loud. "So, you all packed and ready to go?"  
  
Brady clasped her hand and smiled. "You bet..."  
  
They gathered their luggage and loaded it into the van. Chloe sat in the passenger seat as Brady went to check out in the lobby. She fastened her seatbelt and glanced out the window at the bright morning sky. While Brady's words usually eased her mind, she felt her insides churning at the prospects of what she might find, or might not find, when they reached Newport.  
***  



	11. Is the address 3514 Chloe Lane?

Chapter Eleven  
  
Chloe and Brady drove along the highway between Boston and Newport in silence. Brady concentrated on the road, while Chloe thumbed through a book about opera that Belle had given her for her birthday.  
  
Brady glanced over at Chloe who seemed to be engrossed in her book and muttered under his breath. "I don't know how you can read in a moving car."  
  
Chloe raised her head and looked at Brady in confusion. "Huh?"  
  
"I said... I don't know how you can read in a moving car."  
  
Chloe furrowed her eyebrows together. "Well... it's actually quite easy, Brady. You just sound out the words in your head, and they form sentences. Just like in first grade."  
  
Brady shook his head. "That's not what I meant. How can you not get carsick?"  
  
"I don't know... I just don't. Why would I get carsick?"  
  
"Hmm... maybe you're like Belle that way."  
  
"What way? Brady... are you speaking another language? Cause, it sounds like English... but frankly, I don't understand you."  
  
Brady sighed. "Alright, alright... See, for most of our family vacations growing up we would take a plane. But... every now and then, Dad would get this notion to make like the Griswolds and take a long road trip. Belle used to always like to read in the car, whatever little kid books she liked at the time... Anyway, Marlena would always tell us both that we shouldn't read in the car because it makes you carsick. Belle would do it anyway, and be fine... so I really didn't buy into the whole thing."  
  
"But you never tried to find out yourself?"  
  
Brady shook his head. "Not exactly... One summer we were driving to Minnesota and we took Shawn and Mimi along with us. I think they were all about 10, and I was probably 12 or 13. So, here I am... thinking I'm so much older and tougher than all these little kids. I didn't want to have to hear them blabbing about whatever was 'cool' and 'hip' in the 4th grade, so I decided to read some sports magazine I had. I didn't even get past the letters to the editor when..."  
  
Chloe's jaw dropped in shock. "You threw up?"  
  
Brady groaned in embarrassment. "You got it. All over the backseat of the van that Dad rented. All over Mimi."  
  
Chloe drew in a breath and stifled a giggle with her hand. "Oh my God, Brady... that is terrible. Poor Mimi..."  
  
"Poor Mimi? What about me? I was so embarrassed..."  
  
"I'm sorry, Brady... You poor thing," she said with mock sympathy.  
  
"Just don't ever breath a word of this to anyone..."  
  
Chloe laughed out loud. "I don't have to... All the people I would tell your embarrassing stories to were there when it happened."  
  
Brady cringed in his seat. "Well, that's good news..."  
  
Chloe laughed again but pointed at something out her window. "Hey... it's our exit, Brady."  
  
Brady moved the car onto the ramp and exited. "Uhhhh... so, where am I going now?"  
  
Chloe took a quick glance at the map. "Mmmm... take a right up here, and then a left at the next light. We are out to find the house that Nancy grew up in."  
***  
  
(20 minutes later... or so.)  
  
They drove up the tree-lined street looking for the house number that Chloe had found in her file on Nancy. As she looked out the window, Chloe realized that this was the neighborhood where Nancy had first learned to ride a bike, had her first kiss, her first broken heart and done all the normal things that most children do growing up. Things that Chloe had experienced, but never in a way that normal kids did. She didn't have a real family, or a place to call her 'hometown', or a house that she grew up in. All those things had been robbed from her and she had never known why.   
  
She spotted the number she was looking for on a large brown two-story home. "Brady, that's it... 3514... that's what we're looking for."  
  
Brady pulled the van to the side of the street in front of the house. He turned the ignition off and turned to Chloe. "What now?"  
  
Chloe sighed. "I don't know... okay, that's the wrong answer, I know. I guess we should go up and knock. Maybe they'll let me see the house if I tell them my mother grew up here."  
  
Brady looked at her with complete seriousness. "Chloe... are you really expecting to find something here?"  
  
Chloe shrugged her shoulders. "No... not really. At least not anything about my father... but I still want to see it."  
  
Brady nodded and got out of the van. Chloe got out on her side and waited for him to come around. She took a deep breath and clasped his hand. He smiled at her and kissed her on the forehead. "Alright... let's go then."  
  
They walked up the wooden porch and Chloe rang the doorbell. She looked at Brady nervously, and he smiled back at her reassuringly. They stood there in silence for a few moments, until the door opened suddenly to reveal a pretty blonde woman in her mid-thirties.  
  
"Hello... can I help you?"  
  
Chloe paused nervously. "Yeah... uhm... I'm not here to sell you anything or try to convert you to my religion, but what I have to say may sound strange anyway."  
  
The woman looked at her in confusion. "Well, go ahead..."  
  
"My name is Chloe Lane... My mother grew up in this house."  
  
"And you want to take a tour?"  
  
Chloe nodded slightly. "Well... kind of... If you don't mind. But, don't worry... I can just go away, if it's a problem."  
  
"What was your mother's name?"  
  
"Nancy Miller..."  
  
"Yes, right... My husband bought this house as a wedding present to me from Albert Miller. Is that your grandfather?"  
  
Chloe nodded. "Yes, ma'am..."  
  
The woman opened the door wider to allow Chloe and Brady entrance. "Well, I don't mind if you come in... just please be quiet. The baby is asleep in the living room."  
  
Chloe and Brady entered the house and she closed the door behind them. Chloe shook her hand firmly and smiled. "Thank you so much... I really appreciate this... Mrs...?"  
  
"Oh right... Mrs. Adams... Karen Adams. And you're welcome..."  
  
Chloe let go of her hand and motioned towards Brady. "And, uhm... this is Brady Black."  
  
Brady smiled politely and shook Karen's hand. "Nice to meet you, Mrs. Adams."  
  
Karen smiled at him but turned back to face Chloe. "So, Chloe... if you don't mind me asking... what possessed you to want come here? I mean, I've heard of people coming back to see their childhood homes... but not usually, their children."  
  
Chloe nodded in understanding. "Well, it's a long long long story. But, basically... My mother put me up for adoption, and even though I know her now... There's a lot that I still don't know. Things that she won't tell me... So, I'm in Newport trying to find the answers myself."  
  
"I'm sorry to say it, but I don't know how much help this house is going to be. We've redecorated since we bought the house, so it doesn't even look the same as when your mother lived here."  
  
"Either way, I still appreciate you letting me in."  
  
Karen briefly looked behind her into the living room and then turned back to Brady and Chloe. "I'm going to go check on my little boy... If you would like to go upstairs, I think your mother's room was probably the second door on the left. It's my daughter Mara's room now... She's at day camp, so feel free to go on up."  
  
"Thank you so much..."  
  
Karen nodded and turned into the living room as Brady and Chloe stepped up the stairs slowly. The door to Nancy's old bedroom was open and Chloe stepped inside.   
  
Chloe took in a deep breath at the site of this little girl's room. It was decorated exactly how you'd imagine a girl of 12 or 13 would want it. Mara's room was the perfect cross between childhood and the teenage years. The bed was covered in a fluffy pink comforter with heart-shaped throw pillows, and the walls were adorned with pictures of ballerinas and posters of teen idols like the Backstreet Boys. There was a window seat on one wall with shelves on each side of the window. The shelves were filled with stuffed animals and dolls and tiny picture frames and trinkets.  
  
Brady stood in the doorway and looked around. "Nice room... very... uhm... pink."  
  
Chloe nodded and walked over to the window seat and sat down. She looked out the window at the street below. She imagined a young Nancy sitting here and staring out the window nearly every day.   
  
Brady moved into the room and sat on the edge of the girl's bed. "Well, Chloe... is it everything you expected?"  
  
Chloe chuckled softly. "I don't know... I didn't know what to expect. But, it is kinda odd just being in here..."  
  
"Odd? How do you mean?"  
  
"Well, I'm sitting here and all I can think is 'why'? Nancy seemed like she had a great childhood. She was a great student, she came from a wealthy family, and she was in love with her childhood sweetheart. And then what happened? She was raped... by someone she KNEW. She could have kept me, but she didn't. She did what her father told her. I want to know why... if she loved me so much... why did she let me go..."  
  
Chloe had one solitary tear falling down her right cheek. She reached her hand up and quickly wiped it off. "I know that Nancy has been trying to be a mother to me now, but she never even tries to explain why she couldn't be my mother all along. I want to know why I was denied a family."  
  
Brady stood up and came to sit down beside Chloe. He gently clasped her hand with his own and smiled. "Life isn't fair, Chloe... I wish I could tell you the reasons why, but I don't know myself. It's not fair that my mother died before I was even old enough to have memories of her. I don't know why it had to happen, but I'm sure God has his reasons.  
  
Chloe shook her head. "Brady, it's different though. I don't mean to lessen the impact of losing your mother. But, at least you had people. You had your father, and Belle, and your grandfather. You know what it was like to grow up with love in your life, but I don't."  
  
Brady nodded and wrapped his arms around her. "You're right. I'm sorry that I even tried to compare it. But, you have to look at the present and the future sometimes. You have love in your life now, and that's what you have to hold on to.  
  
"I'm trying, Brady... but it's hard. Every time in my past that I thought someone cared for me... they just left. So, no matter how happy I am with the people in my life, there's always this part of me that thinks it's not going to last."  
  
Brady moved out of the embrace and smiled at her, his blue eyes sparkling at her. "Chloe... once somebody TRULY loves you, they will never stop. Nancy loved you, and you have to believe that she never stopped loving you all this time."  
  
"I want to believe that... I really do." Chloe paused and noticed a doll on the shelf. It was a pretty porcelain doll with big blue eyes and curly chestnut colored hair. She leaned over and lightly fingered the edge of its velvet dress. "You know something, Brady. When I was a little girl... my adoptive mother gave me this doll and I carried it with me forever. I used to talk to it at night, and pretend that it was my best friend. I'd tell her all about my day, and tell her about my problems. I loved that little doll so much, and deep down, I always imagined that she loved me too. Unconditionally."  
  
"So, what ever happened to her?"  
  
Chloe sighed. "Right before I came to Salem I gave it to this little girl at the orphanage. Her real parents had given her up, and then her adopted parents were killed in a car accident... She was totally alone in the world, and I thought she needed her more than I did."  
  
Brady nodded knowingly. "And... she reminded you of yourself."  
  
"Yeah, she did. But, as much as I'm glad that girl has a friend now... I still wish I had her sometimes. Not all the time... but every now and then... just to have someone to talk to who won't talk back."  
  
Brady laughed softly. "Well, you can always talk to me... but I can't make any promises on the 'not talking back' part."  
  
Chloe laughed, but paused in the middle of the moment. She noticed something on the doll's foot and leaned in to take a closer look. As plain as day, etched into the doll's plastic shoe was a name. Chloe jumped back, and her mouth opened in shock.   
  
"Brady... this doll... she has my name on her shoe."  
  
Brady leaned in to get a closer look at it. She was right, in all capital letters it said 'CHLOE'.   
  
"It's probably just a coincidence... a really strange one, but nothing to freak out about..."  
  
Chloe shook her head in confusion. "Maybe it's a sign or something... it's just too weird not to be."  
  
Brady waved a teasing finger at her. "Now, Chloe Lane... you don't believe in signs, remember?  
  
"I told you that?"  
  
Brady nodded affirmatively. "Oh yeah... long time ago."  
  
Chloe bit her lip thoughtfully. "Well, maybe I should start believing in them..."  
  
Brady laughed and stood up from the window seat. "So, are you ready to go downstairs or did you want to stick around here in BallerinaVille a bit longer?"  
  
Chloe laughed and stood up. "I'm ready... not much else I can learn from this."  
  
She smiled at Brady and they headed downstairs together. When they reached the bottom of the stairs, Karen walked in from the livingroom holding a very alert blonde toddler. He smiled happily and waved at Chloe as she stepped off of the bottom step. Chloe walked towards him and waved back.  
  
"Hi there sweetie... Mrs. Adams... he's beautiful. What's his name?"  
  
"His name is Jared... and he just turned a year old last week."  
  
Chloe ran a hand through his blonde curls and Jared gurgled appreciatively. "Well... he is adorable. Anyway, we're all done upstairs, thank you so much Karen."  
  
"Not a problem... Can I get you two something to drink? Water, or tea or something?"  
  
Chloe nodded thankfully. "Water would be just fine actually..."  
  
Brady smiled at Karen. "Same for me too, please..."  
  
"Okay then... you two can go ahead and have a seat in the living room if you want. Go ahead and make yourself comfortable."   
  
Karen led them into the living room and placed Jared in his playpen before heading into the kitchen. Chloe and Brady sat together on the loveseat and waited in silence. A few moments later, Karen returned with two glasses of ice water and a satchel hanging from her shoulder. She placed the glasses in front of Brady and Chloe. She pulled the satchel off of her shoulder and sat in the chair nearest to them.  
  
Chloe sipped her water and smiled. "Thank you, Karen... for everything."  
  
"You're very welcome... But, I have something to confess."  
  
Chloe looked surprised. "You do?"  
  
Karen fidgeted nervously in her chair. "Yeah... I... I wouldn't normally let just anybody come into my house, but when you said your name... it was familiar to me."  
  
Brady raised one eyebrow and spoke. "Does this have something to do with that doll upstairs?"  
  
"Oh. You saw that?"  
  
Chloe nodded. "Yeah, but we thought it was just a coincidence... It's not?"  
  
"Well, not exactly. Let me explain... A few years ago, I gave that doll to Mara and she named it Chloe. She always puts the names of the dolls somewhere on them so she can remember it forever. I was surprised by the name Chloe though... I mean, it's such a unique name so I asked her where she got it from. She showed me upstairs in the window seat. I didn't even know the damned thing opened up, but she had found some books inside. Journals actually... and one of the names written in the journals was Chloe."  
  
Chloe gasped and placed one hand on her chest. She quietly muttered, "Oh My God..."  
  
"They belonged to Nancy Miller... and I don't know why I've saved them for so long, but I guess I always thought maybe she would come back for them. But... you came instead."  
  
Tears begin to fall from Chloe's eyes, and Brady wrapped an arm around her. She felt so shocked she could hardly form the words to speak. "I... I... can't believe it."  
  
Karen picked the satchel up from the floor and handed it across to Chloe. Chloe sighed and pulled out three thick leather bound books from inside. Chloe lovingly ran her hand over the cover of the first one and smiled weakly.  
  
"I hope you find your answers in there, Chloe.  
  
Chloe clutched the books to her chest and smiled. "I will... I know I will... you have no idea how much this means to me. It changes everything. I don't know how I know, but I know that the answers are in these books."  
  
Karen smiled back at her and stood from her chair. "I hope so... You seem like a nice girl, Chloe... I wish you the best of luck."  
  
Chloe and Brady stood up together, and Chloe embraced Karen in a tight hug. "Oh thank you, thank you, thank you... so much."  
  
Chloe released her and Karen smiled. "I'm glad I could help... Listen, I have to take Jared to a doctor's appointment. If you want to stay here so you can read the diaries... you're welcome to."  
  
Chloe shook her head. "I appreciate the offer, but I've already intruded enough for today. Brady and I can find someplace to go."  
  
"Alright then... take care of yourself... both of you."  
  
Brady shook her hand firmly. "We will... thank you for everything."  
  
On the way out of the living room, Chloe stopped and waved goodbye to Jared who was playing in his playpen. He looked up at her and giggled, and Chloe smiled widely. "Bye cutie..."  
  
Karen saw them to the door and Chloe ran to the van with a brand new sense of optimism in her heart. She got inside and sat in the passenger seat as Brady got in and turned the key.  
  
He looked at Chloe and grinned. "So, where to next?"  
  
Chloe smiled sweetly. "Well, I saw a park back up the street a bit. It's such a beautiful day out. I think I'd like to sit outside and enjoy the weather while I go through these."  
  
Brady nodded and pulled the van out on to the street. "Your wish is my command."  
  
Chloe sighed and clutched the diaries to her chest. She knew that if her own name was in these books, then the name of her father could be too.  
***  



	12. The Truth Keeps on Rolling Out...

Chapter Twelve  
  
Chloe sat completely alone on a bench at the edge of the park. Brady had left her alone to read while he took a walk around the park. She had already finished skimming the first book, but found nothing in there. A lot of talk about school and Nancy's relationship with Craig. But nothing that alluded to Chloe or her father. Chloe began on the second book with a sigh. The first part was mostly Nancy lamenting the fact that Craig was away at medical school, and how much she missed him. But, about 25 pages in... Chloe noticed something out of the ordinary.  
  
"Chloe..."  
  
Chloe broke out of her trance and looked up. Brady had come back with his hands full and he plopped down on the bench beside her. "Hey... There's a little cafe on the other end of the park. I got you an iced mocha and a turkey sandwich... whole wheat of course."  
  
Chloe took the food from his hands and looked at him strangely. "Weird... I was thinking earlier about how much I miss the Dot.Com iced mochas."  
  
Brady grinned at her and sipped his own drink. "You mean, I never told you that I was psychic?"  
  
Chloe rolled her eyes and laughed. "Well, just promise me that you will use your mystic powers of divining for good and not evil."  
  
Brady nodded knowingly. "See... that's the thing. I'm only psychic when it comes to things like... 'Chloe is craving a mocha' or 'Chloe prefers whole wheat over white bread'. The big stuff is out of my reach."  
  
Chloe nodded understandingly. "So... it's a blessing AND a curse then."  
  
"Pretty much... So, did you find anything good yet?"  
  
Chloe shrugged and took a bite of her sandwich. "I don't know... The first book was pretty useless. Your basic teenage rambling kinda stuff. But, the second one might be helpful. This was all written when Craig was away in medical school and they were apart."  
  
"Around the time that she got pregnant?"  
  
"Mm-hmmm... Check this out..." Chloe took a quick sip of her drink before reading out of the journal. She pointed at the page and began reading; "Craig called me from school yesterday. He couldn't talk long because he was on his way to class. I miss him terribly but I'm trying to stay occupied with my studies. I noticed something strange though. Mr. Lennox is coming over to the house a lot more than usual. He usually comes over after dinner and has drinks with my father. They spend the rest of the night in the study discussing 'business' dealings and telling stories. I don't know what it is about him, but he creeps me out. He just looks at me sometimes and it gives me chills. I can't stand to be down there when he's here, so I just come upstairs and stay in my room."  
  
Chloe stopped reading and took another bite of her sandwich. Brady took a glance at the page himself and shrugged. "Mr. Lennox, huh? You think that might be him?"  
  
"I don't know... I haven't got any further than this yet. But, it sounds suspicious so far."  
  
"Well... keep going. Don't let me bother you."  
  
Chloe smiled and kept skimming the pages. Several minutes later, she stopped and looked up at Brady. "Oh... here we go... I guess this Lennox guy came over a lot, and things just kept getting creepier."  
  
She began reading from the journal out loud, "Last night was different. Usually I have my privacy upstairs, but while I was falling asleep I heard someone open the door. I thought maybe it was my father coming to tell me something, but it wasn't. It was him. He came in my room. I pretended to be asleep, but he kneeled on the edge of my bed and stroked my hair. He tried to touch me in other places but I told him to get out before I screamed. I wish Craig was home, I know that he would protect me from all of this. I tried to tell my father, but he wouldn't listen. He said that 'Sam Lennox is a very important man, and I'm not to accuse of those sort of things.'"  
  
Chloe shook her head and sighed. She skimmed through a few more pages until she read another entry out loud. "Craig is home for Thanksgiving weekend and I couldn't be happier. I had planned to tell him about Sam, but when I saw how happy he was to see me, I couldn't bear to bring him down like that. Sam has tried a few more times to get intimate with me, but I have stopped him successfully. I'm sure that he'll give up soon. I hope so. Craig and I are spending every second together and tonight he is taking me out on his family's boat so we can have some privacy. I can't wait... I can forget about all my problems with Mr. Lennox and concentrate on my love for Craig."  
  
"Boy... those two really had it bad for each other, didn't they?"  
  
Chloe chuckled softly. "Still do actually... I just wonder what possessed her to lie to Craig for so long."  
  
Chloe flipped a few pages but noticed something strange. "Brady... this is odd. Really odd."  
  
Brady looked over her shoulder at what Chloe was reading. "What is it?"  
  
"Well, after the entries on Thanksgiving... it just stops. Until after Christmas. This entry about spending time with Craig on the boat is the last one until January 10th. That's like 6 weeks, Brady."  
  
Brady looked confused. "So... what happened? What made her stop writing?"  
  
Chloe looked at the page in front of her dated January 10th, 1984. She drew in a deep breath as she saw the word rape float past her and snapped the book shut. "Oh My God... Brady... I can't even read it."  
  
Brady took the book out of her hand and turned to the page she had left off on. "I haven't written anything in my journal for over 6 weeks. There is so much to say, but I could never find the words to say what happened. I have been raped and nobody will listen. I came back from my date with Craig on Saturday after Thanksgiving to what I thought was a sleeping house. When I got to my room, he was there. I tried to run away, but he grabbed me and threw me to the bed. I tried so hard to stop it but I couldn't. I froze. I couldn't even scream, and even if I had, nobody would have heard me. My father was passed out drunk downstairs, I'm sure. I've tried to tell him what happened, but he doesn't care. He says that his business deals with Sam Lennox are too important for me to send Sam to jail. I can't tell Craig... I am too ashamed of what happened to ever tell him. I can never tell him."  
  
Chloe had tears running down her face when she looked over at Brady. "I don't even know what to say..."  
  
Brady drew her to him and wrapped his arms around her. "You don't have to say anything, Chloe..."  
  
She sobbed into his chest and he held her tighter. She lifted her head and looked at him with watery eyes. "When I was a kid, I used to dream that even though they abandoned me, that maybe my parents did love each other and that maybe I was conceived out of love. When Nancy told me that she was raped, I didn't want to believe it. But, now I know the truth. My father was nothing but a horrible, despicable human being who took advantage of a innocent girl. I should have never been born, Brady... I shouldn't be here."  
  
Brady handed her a napkin to wipe the tears and kissed her on the forehead gently. "Don't say that, Chloe... Please don't say that. The circumstances around your birth may have been tragic, but that doesn't mean your life has to turn out that way too. Just because you weren't conceived in love doesn't mean that your existence has no meaning."  
  
Chloe wiped her tears with the napkin and took a few deep breaths in. "The words sound good, Brady... but I just don't know if I can believe them."  
  
Brady looked at her in shock. "Chloe... you HAVE to believe them. Maybe your existence means nothing to you, but it means a lot to the rest of us. I know that my life wouldn't be the same without you in it. And, I think I speak for Shawn and Belle too on that matter. And you have to know that Craig and Nancy care for you a lot. No matter what you might think, there are people who love you. And it doesn't matter how you were brought into this world, it only matters that you're in it now."  
  
Chloe sighed and rested her head on his shoulder. "I just wish things could have been different... Why did so much pain have to be caused because of an event that never had to happen?"  
  
"I don't know... but, you have to let go of the past sometimes. I know that there's been a lot of pain and hard times, but you can't dwell on it or let it rule your life anymore."  
  
Chloe chuckled softly. "And that's coming from the King of Grudges..."  
  
Brady nodded his head in agreement. "Used to be... But, Marlena and I both realized that we were living in the past. Dwelling on things that happened years ago... misunderstandings, and mistakes of the past. I let my hatred rule me and I was miserable and so was she. So, we let it go... The present and the future are too important to waste on yesterday."  
  
Chloe looked at Brady in amazement. "Sometimes you frighten me."  
  
Brady laughed quietly. "Really? Why is that?"  
  
"You sound like a book. Or that Dr. Phil guy on Oprah."  
  
"Now you are frightening me... You watch Oprah?"  
  
Chloe shook her head and smiled. "No... Nancy does. She says that she likes Dr. Phil because he 'tells it like it is'..."  
  
Brady laughed. "Well, I've had a lot of practice with psychotherapy... I have lived most of my life with the world-renowned Dr. Marlena Evans Black."  
  
Chloe raised her eyebrows at him. "World renowned, huh?"  
  
"So, I've heard..." Brady smiled at her briefly, "So, what next? More reading?"  
  
Chloe cringed in her seat. "I probably should read the rest of it... But, I don't know if I can take any more of this today."  
  
"We've got over a week before we even have to go home. Take your time."  
  
Chloe nodded. "Can we just find a hotel to stay in for tonight? I'll decide what to do in the morning..."  
  
Brady smiled and stood up. He took her hand and helped her from the bench. "Alright then... let's get outta here."  
  
Chloe held the three journals tightly and followed Brady to the parking lot. As she got in to the van, she wondered if Sam Lennox still lived in Newport. And if he does, will I have the strength to face him?   
***  



	13. Room Service

Chapter Thirteen  
  
Chloe dragged her suitcase into the hotel room with a groan. She stopped to catch her breath and looked around. This room was much nicer than their other two had been. It was large, well decorated and very plush.  
  
"Wow, Brady... nice place..."  
  
Brady came staggering in behind her. "Yeah... might as well go all out for once."  
  
Chloe set her suitcase aside and threw herself on to the nearest bed with a sigh. "You know... I'm thinking that we brought way too much stuff. All this carrying of suitcases is not healthy."  
  
Brady hefted his suitcase into the corner with a groan and laid down beside her. "I think you're right about that one..."  
  
Chloe rolled on to her side to look at Brady. "Hey... are you hungry?"  
  
"You mean, you ARE? You just had a turkey sandwich, didn't you?"  
  
"HALF of a turkey sandwich, I'll have you know. Plus we didn't really eat lunch, so I'm kinda starving."  
  
Brady sat up and reached for the room service menu on the bedside table. "Well then... we will order room service."  
  
Chloe grinned at him. "Wow... we really are doing it up big tonight."  
  
"Come on... Room service is expensive, so enjoy it while it lasts. What do you want?"  
  
Chloe stood up and headed towards the bathroom. "I'm gonna go freshen up... just order me something that you know I'll like. Anything is fine."  
  
Chloe stepped inside the bathroom and looked at herself. Her eyes were still slightly red from crying, and the tear stains were still visible on her face. She ran the water in the sink and washed her face off gently. She looked at her reflection in the mirror and softly spoke to it, "Brady's right... When you get over with all of this, you have to let it go. Live for now, not for yesterday."  
  
She turned the water off and returned to the bedroom area. Brady had just hung up the phone and he smiled at her as she walked in.  
  
"So... what shall we be feasting on tonight?"  
  
"What any two mature adults would have in a fancy hotel room... Cheeseburgers, fries and milkshakes."  
  
Chloe laughed and sat on the edge of the bed. "That'll do... I think I'm going to try and go through some more of these diaries tonight."  
  
Brady gave her a concerned glance. "Are you sure you want to do that?"  
  
Chloe nodded affirmatively. "Yeah, I might as well get it over with... Go ahead and watch TV if you want, it's not going to distract me."  
  
Brady complied happily and used the remote to turn on ESPN, as Chloe grabbed the journals out of her backpack and laid with them on the other bed. She paged through them silently for awhile, trying to put herself in Nancy's shoes and trying to understand everything that had happened.  
  
Chloe was so engrossed in the journal that she didn't even hear the knock at the door. She only lifted her head from the pages when she heard Brady open the door and talk to the room service waiter. She closed the journal and laid it aside, walking over to help carry the food in to the dining table in the corner. Brady signed the ticket as Chloe arranged everything on the table for them. They sat across from each other and silently began eating their dinners.  
  
Chloe had taken a few bites when Brady interrupted her. "So, how's the reading going?"  
  
Chloe took a sip from her milkshake and shrugged slightly. "Fine, I guess... I've been reading a lot about what happened when she found out she was pregnant. She really did want to keep me, Brady."  
  
Brady raised one eyebrow. "Are you surprised?"  
  
"I don't know... maybe a little. Most women wouldn't want to keep a child that is a child of rape. And, she goes on about how Craig had always said he didn't want to have children, and neither did she... but she changed her mind when she got pregnant. She just wished it was Craig's baby and not Sam's, because then maybe she could keep me. My grandfather sent her away because he didn't want anyone to find out that Nancy was pregnant, because then the whole world would find that she was raped by Sam Lennox."  
  
Brady sighed. "And there's no possible way that you could be Craig's daughter?"  
  
Chloe shook her head. "I know that they had made love before, but she says they always used protection so it's just not possible."  
  
"And Craig never even knew you existed until you showed up in Salem?"  
  
"Pretty much. When Nancy had to run off to Boston, and she couldn't explain it to Craig, he broke up with her for awhile. He always wanted to know what was going on with her, but she just couldn't bring herself to tell him."  
  
Brady dipped a fry in ketchup before speaking. "But obviously... they got back together?"  
  
Chloe smiled. "I guess he just couldn't live with out her. He told me once that he figured it didn't matter what she was hiding from him, because he still loved her and trusted her."  
  
Brady nodded approvingly. "Wow... that's amazing."  
  
"I know..." Chloe looked away thoughtfully and took a bite of her cheeseburger.  
  
"Chloe... you're not thinking of Phillip, are you?"  
  
Chloe sighed and put her cheeseburger down. "Brady... we don't have to go there, do we?"  
  
Brady shook his head. "No, we don't... I'm sorry I mentioned it... It's just that..."  
  
"...Phillip didn't trust me like Craig trusted Nancy. Yeah, yeah, I gotcha... But... that is of the past. Granted, it's more recent past... but still, I don't want to dwell on it. That's what you told me, remember? Let it go..."  
  
Brady smiled. "Yeah... I'm right. I mean... you're right."  
  
Chloe rolled her eyes and laughed. "Well, thanks... I think."  
  
"So, what's in book three of the Nancy Chronicles?"  
  
"Don't know. Not there yet. I took a glimpse, and it looks like it's all after I was born and when she came back to Newport after giving me up. That can all wait for now... I mean, I'm interested to read it, but I think I'm done spelunking into Nancy's brain for tonight."  
  
Brady finished off his milkshake and smiled at her. "Okay, now that we have all this information about Sam Lennox... what are we going to do with it?"  
  
Chloe sighed as she pushed her finished plate aside and threw her napkin on the table. "I don't know... I've been wondering that all day. I came here to find my father, and now I don't know what I'm going to do about it. Crazy, isn't it?"  
  
"Not so crazy. It's a lot to think about. Do you think you want to meet him face to face?"  
  
Chloe shrugged. "I don't know. I thought so at first, but now I'm just a loss. What would I do? Look him in the eye just so I can tell him what a terrible thing he did and how he destroyed my life. What's the point? A man like that doesn't care how his actions affect other people. If he did, he would have never raped my mother."  
  
"That's not always true, Chloe. He may have regrets, you don't know..."  
  
Chloe slumped in her seat a bit. "I doubt it..."  
  
"You'll never find out if you don't talk to him."  
  
Chloe sighed in frustration and put her head in her hands. "Oh geez... I guess it's kinda dumb to come all this way, just to turn around and go home."  
  
Brady nodded and leaned forward to remove Chloe's hands from her face. "And don't you think you might regret it if you don't take the chance?"  
  
Chloe frowned at him. "I guess... damn you, Brady... why do you always have to be right?"  
  
Brady leaned forward and gave her a kiss on the forehead. "Because I'm the best."  
  
Chloe groaned and rolled her eyes sarcastically. "Oh yeah... the best at being egotistical."  
  
Brady's jaw dropped in shock. He slid out of his chair and in one swift move grabbed Chloe out of hers pulling her to the floor beside him. As she fell to the floor, she bumped the back of her head on the table. Hard enough to make a sound, but not bad enough to cause any major damage.  
  
She rubbed her head and groaned in pain. "OWWWWWW... What the hell did you do that for?"  
  
Brady cringed a tiny bit. "Oops... sorry about that. I didn't mean for you to crack your skull open. I just wanted to show you what I'm the best at."  
  
Chloe looked at him skeptically. "Well, if you're the best at giving brain damage to an innocent girl, congratulations... you've shown me the light." She grimaced again and rubbed the injured spot on her head.  
  
Brady pulled her closer to him and moved one hand to replace hers where she had bumped her head. He rubbed it gently as if he was trying to make the pain go away.   
  
"No... I'm the best at this..."   
  
She smiled at his gentle touch and looked at him curiously. Brady leaned in further and kissed her passionately. Her body melted into his, and she felt the pain in her head disappear. He moved his hand down from her head, gently grazing her neck and ran it down her back resting it at the base of her spine. She shuddered at his touch and deepened the kiss. She unconsciously rubbed her leg against his and felt his entire body tense.   
  
Brady broke off the kiss and grinned at her. "So... how's the head feeling now?"  
  
"Don't even notice it. You ARE the best." Chloe winked at him slyly.  
  
Brady chuckled, rolled over to lie on his back and put his hands behind his head. "Yeah... well... I don't like to brag."  
  
Chloe laughed loudly at him. "Yeah right... That is SUCH a lie."  
  
Brady pushed himself up with his arms and grinned at her. "Okay... well, I don't like to brag ALL the time... just some of the time."  
  
Chloe sat up as well. "Most of the time..."  
  
They laughed together as Chloe interlaced her fingers between his and laid her head on his shoulder. Chloe thought to herself, You are the best, Brady... Thank God for you.   
  
Brady wrapped an arm around her shoulder and kissed the top of her head. "Did you make your decision about tomorrow then?"  
  
Chloe nodded slightly. "Yeah... I'm going to try and find him. I need to see him. Just get it over with and move on, right?"  
  
Brady nodded in agreement. "Exactly..."  
  
Chloe sighed softly and cuddled up to Brady even closer. I just hope you're right... I don't want regret seeing him more than I would regret just going home. 


	14. Research Time!

Chapter Fourteen  
  
(Day Five)  
  
Chloe sat in the middle of her bed, going through the diaries again as she waited for Brady to finish getting ready. She had started on the third book, which began in Nancy's last month of pregnancy. Chloe felt that she was finally gaining insight into the things that Nancy had gone through. She had never understood how someone could give up their child, but now she knew that Nancy didn't want to give her up. She had no other choice, and she was too weak to stand up to her father or to tell Craig what had happened. Chloe would wager a bet that this was the last time in her life that Nancy had failed to stand up to someone. In fact, Chloe knew that Nancy was a much stronger person now than she used to be and this whole experience probably helped shape her into the person she is today.   
  
Brady stepped out of the hotel bathroom and sat down on the edge of Chloe's bed. She stopped reading and lifted her head to smile at him.  
  
"Hey there...."  
  
"Hey... find something interesting?"  
  
Chloe nodded slightly. "Tons..."  
  
"Those books don't happen to have the full address and phone number of one Samuel Lennox, do they?"  
  
Chloe chuckled softly. "Nope... we'll just have to go about it the old fashioned way."  
  
"And which way is that?"  
  
"I... don't... actually... know...." Chloe grinned and shrugged her shoulders.  
  
Brady looked shocked. "You mean Sherlock Holmes can't figure out the latest mystery this time? Hmmm... I guess finding the exact person you're looking for in the phone book twice in one trip would be like lightning striking in the same place twice. Right?"  
  
Chloe nodded. "Yup.... And, I already tried that while you were in the shower. There are other people named Lennox in Newport, but no Sam, Samuel or 'S' Lennox even."  
  
"Could be his family members or something."  
  
"Or... he could not even live in Newport anymore... I don't know... I'm stuck."  
  
Brady paused thoughtfully for a moment and clasped Chloe's hand as he stood from the bed. "Come on, Chloe... get your stuff. Let's go."  
  
Chloe wrinkled her eyebrows in confusion. "Go where?"  
  
"I have an idea. Come on."  
  
Chloe sighed in frustration but stood up anyway and grabbed her stuff. Brady grinned at her and led her out the door by the hand.  
***  
  
After a quick stop at the hotel check-in desk to ask the clerk for directions, Brady drove to the main public library in Newport. He parked the van in the parking lot and the two of them walked to the front door of the building.  
  
"The library, Brady? Are we here to check if my father has overdue books?"  
  
Brady rolled his eyes and laughed. "Nooooo... The main library usually has all the local newspaper articles on microfilm. We're going to take a look at the history of Sam Lennox."  
  
Chloe nodded with understanding and they walked inside. They found the library's computer station and sat down in front of it. Brady typed in "Sam Lennox", and waited for the next screen to pop up.  
  
"Chloe... write these numbers down..."  
  
Chloe nodded as she grabbed pencil and paper off the desk and began writing down what Brady was reading off the screen. They finished up at the computer and headed over to grab the films that the numbers referred to. They found what they needed right away and sat down at the reader to go through the multitudes of articles on Sam Lennox.  
  
Brady zipped through the back issues of the local paper as Chloe stared at the screen intently.  
  
"Brady, Brady... stop... right there."  
  
Brady stopped the machine on one of the numbers they were looking for as Chloe put her finger on the screen. It was a black and white photo of Albert Miller and Sam Lennox. They were shaking hands at a ribbon-cutting ceremony for a new wing at the hospital.   
  
"Wow... that's him..." Chloe shook her head sadly, as Brady pushed the button to print out a copy of the article.  
  
Brady looked at the picture closely and turned his head. "I... I uhhh, don't see a resemblance."  
  
Chloe shrugged her shoulders in confusion. "Me either."   
  
Sam Lennox was a man of medium height and was slightly overweight with small beady eyes that gave away what a nasty person he must have been. Even in a black and white picture, Chloe could tell that he was fair skinned, and had been fair haired.  
  
Brady looked at her and grinned. "Well, maybe the Lennox or the Miller family has a recessive gene for tall, dark and beautiful hiding in there somewhere."  
  
Chloe laughed softly. "Well, I certainly don't look like my mother either, do I?"  
  
"Not one bit." Brady smiled at her as he reached for the printout and handed it to her. He began scanning again and stopped on the next article.   
  
"Oh, here we go..." Brady pointed at the screen as he read it out loud. "Good ol' Real Estate section... 'Newport Businessman Lennox Renovates the Marsh House.'"  
  
Chloe lifted her eyes from the printout and looked at the article on the screen. She hit the print button as she read the key parts of the article out loud.  
  
"Uhm... let's see... 'Local entrepeneur Samuel Lennox purchased the vacated home of former Newport mayor, Lawrence Marsh.'" Chloe scanned the article with her index finger, and kept reading. "'The large mansion, built in the 19th century, had been in disarray since Mayor Marsh passed away over 25 years ago.' Oh wait... this is better... 'Lennox plans on pouring most of his time and resources into making the home on Primrose Lane a place for him and his second wife, Beatrice to eventually retire in. Lennox says, "I also want to make sure that my two children and Beatrice's son will be able to enjoy this house for many generations to come.""  
  
"So... you have brothers or sisters?"  
  
Chloe sighed and nodded. "I guess so... but geez, Brady... by the look of things... they're all old enough to be my parents, and not my siblings."  
  
"And, not only was he a perv who preyed on your mother... he was a perv who was married."  
  
"Figures." Chloe sighed deeply.  
  
Chloe turned the knob and they scanned the rest of the articles in silence. The majority of them had to do with his business dealings and nothing else about his personal life. They reached the last article on the list and Brady turned the machine off.  
  
"That's it... guess this guy liked to keep his personal life as private as possible."  
  
Chloe nodded. "Apparently... and there seems to be nothing going on after 1998. That's odd..."  
  
"Not necessarily. He's no spring chicken, Chloe... maybe he just retired and has been keeping it quiet in the big old house..."  
  
Chloe smiled. "... on Primrose Lane."  
  
"Yep... exactly. So, do you think we can find this place?"  
  
Chloe nodded confidently. "Absolutely. Find Primrose Lane, and we'll find it. I printed out the picture and everything. Should be easy."  
  
Brady looked at her with complete seriousness in his eyes and clasped her hand. "But... are you ready to find it?"  
  
Chloe took a deep breath in and sighed. "Yes... I am. I have to be."  
  
He stood up and kissed her on the forehead. "Well, then, let's go."  
***  



	15. The Moment of Truth

Chapter Fifteen  
  
Brady drove the van slowly up Primrose Lane as Chloe compared each house to the house in the newspaper photo. Primrose was only a block away from the house where Nancy had grown up. Surely, it made it quite easy for Sam Lennox to make all those evening visits to the Miller house.  
  
"Geez..." she sighed in exasperation. "I didn't know that one street could be this long. I mean, the entire state of Rhode Island isn't this big, is it?"  
  
"Don't worry, Chloe... we'll find it."  
  
Brady stopped the van at a stop sign as Chloe squinted slightly while staring at a house at the end of the street.  
  
"Brady, pull over in front of that house down there..."  
  
Brady did as instructed as Chloe rolled down the window to get a closer look. She stared at the house for a moment and looked back at the photo.  
  
"This is it... This is the house."  
  
Brady leaned forward and looked at the picture she was holding. "Are you sure?"  
  
"Yup... add a few coats of paint and clean the yard up a bit, and we've found what we're looking for."   
  
Chloe unbuckled her seatbelt and jumped out of the van. Brady got out and met her in front of the van blocking her from walking up the path to the house.  
  
"Whoa, slow down there... Don't go marching up there like you're storming the beach at Normandy."  
  
Chloe groaned in frustration. "Why not? Might as well get it over with as quickly as possible."  
  
"Okay, that sounds nice in theory, but do you have any idea of what you're going to say if Sam Lennox opens that door and stares you right in the face?"  
  
Chloe cringed and looked at Brady with a frown. "Well... no. Not exactly..."  
  
"Alright then... you need to calm down, take a few deep breaths and compose yourself. Do not run up there like a crazy person."  
  
Chloe sighed and closed her eyes. She took deep cleansing breaths and tried to clear her mind of the nervousness she felt inside her. She felt the tension subside as she opened her eyes and looked at Brady. "You're right... I got all wound up... live wire here."  
  
Brady nodded in agreement. "Yeah, you shot out of that van like a cannonball."  
  
"What am I going to do, Brady? I've been imagining a moment like this for my entire life, but now that it's finally here... I don't know what I'm going to do."  
  
Brady grabbed her hands and gave her encouraging smile. "You'll be fine. I just wanted to make sure you weren't freaked out and frazzled when you hit that porch up there. Just say what's on your mind, tell the truth, and everything will be fine. I'll be right there next to you the entire time."  
  
"Good... I may need your backup."  
  
Brady shook his head defiantly. "No, I don't think you do actually. You're not the kind of person who needs someone to do things for you that you can already do yourself. You may feel nervous, but you have no reason to worry. You've come this far already, and whatever you need to say will just flow out of you."  
  
Chloe smiled and kissed him on the cheek. "Thank you... I know that YOU are never at a loss words, I just hope that I'm not either."  
  
Brady rolled his eyes and laughed. "Yeah right, Chloe. You always say exactly what's on your mind... I know you'll be okay."  
  
Chloe took another deep breath and smiled. "Alright then... let's go."  
  
Brady smiled back and the walked up the path towards the house. It was a large home, one might even say mansion, that was far more extravagant than the rest of the houses in this part of town. The grounds and the home itself had been taken care of over the years, and it was obvious that it belonged to a wealthy family. A silver BMW was in front of a garage that was separate from the rest of the home.  
  
They stood on the porch and Brady squeezed Chloe's hand briefly hoping to give her an extra ounce of bravery. She closed her eyes tightly and silently prayed for strength as she reached for the doorbell. She rang the doorbell and stepped backwards to wait for someone to answer. It felt like they waited an eternity, but was in all likelihood only about two minutes before someone opened the door. The door opened and they came face to face with a sandy-haired man of medium height who looked to be in his early forties.  
  
"Hello... can I help you?"  
  
Chloe took a deep breath in and smiled. "Yes... I'm looking for Sam Lennox..."  
  
"I'm Sam Lennox... what can I do for you?"  
  
Chloe looked at him in confusion. "I uhhh... I don't think you're the one I'm looking for. The Sam Lennox that I'm looking for was a friend of my grandfather. Are you his son?"  
  
The man nodded. "Yes, Sam Lennox Jr."  
  
Chloe paused as she realized that she was standing in front of a man who was her half-brother. "Oh. Okay. Well, then... I must be looking for Sam Lennox Sr... Does he still live here?"  
  
Sam Jr. frowned for a moment before looking at Chloe again. "I'm sorry, Miss... I hate to tell you like this. But... my father passed away over 3 years ago. I live here with my wife and children now."  
  
Chloe took a half step backwards in shock, as she felt the tears well up in her eyes. "I'm sorry to hear that... I..."  
  
Chloe couldn't finish her sentence. The weight of the situation had hit her and she fought to hold back the tears. All of this work, all of this time and she would never get to meet the man who was her father.  
  
"Well, it was all very sudden... I'm sorry, Miss, I didn't catch your name..."  
  
Chloe shook his hand firmly. "I'm... I'm Chloe Lane... this is Brady Black."  
  
Brady nodded towards Sam Jr. as Chloe released the man's hand. "Well, Miss Lane... you said your grandfather was friends with my father?"  
  
Chloe nodded. "Yeah... maybe you knew him. Albert Miller..."  
  
Now it was Sam Jr.'s turn to look shocked. "You're Albert Miller's granddaughter? Pardon my confusion, but I was fairly sure that Nancy and Craig never had any children."  
  
Chloe bit her lip nervously before answering. "Well... they didn't... exactly. Nancy gave me up for adoption 17 years ago. But... I live with them now, for almost 2 years. It's a long story..."  
  
Sam Jr. nodded knowingly. "Well, I haven't spoken to Craig since 1991 or maybe 92, so I had no idea you existed."  
  
"Neither did Craig... not until I showed up."  
  
"And why are you here? If you don't mind me asking, that is... If you didn't know my father, why would you be here looking for him now?  
  
Chloe paused and tried to come up with an answer for Sam Jr. She looked at Brady quickly, but he just smiled at her encouragingly. Part of her wanted to tell this man everything, but she also knew how destructive the truth would be to Sam Jr. if he were to find out.  
  
She took a deep breath before speaking. "I... well, Nancy has told me very little about her past and her life in Newport... and... there are a lot of unanswered questions... so I..."  
  
"Decided to go on a quest for the secrets of the past." Sam Jr. interrupted her with a wink.  
  
She smiled weakly. "Yeah... sounds kind of like a bad plot for a movie, doesn't it?"  
  
Sam Jr. shook his head sympathetically. "Not at all... So, you thought that coming here and talking to my father might answer a few questions for you?"  
  
"Something like that..."  
  
"Well, maybe I can help you a little bit... I only knew Nancy in passing, I didn't really get to know her well. But, Craig... I can tell you a lot of things about Craig."  
  
"So... you knew Craig pretty well?"  
  
Sam Jr. raised an eyebrow at her. "Knew him? He lived in this house from the time he was 12 years old until he left for medical school."  
  
Chloe furrowed her brow and stared at him in confusion. "He lived here? What do you mean?"  
  
"You don't know?" Sam Jr. sighed before continuing. "I guess those two really have shut Newport out of their lives. Miss Lane, Craig is my stepbrother. His mother married my father when my sister and I were in high school."  
  
Chloe gasped and put a hand over her mouth. She felt a wave of terror sweep through her body and her knees began to buckle underneath her. Brady noticed her wavering and threw his arm around her waist to steady her. She removed the hand from her mouth and stared at Sam in shock.  
  
"Oh... Oh my God... I can't believe it."  
  
Chloe shook her head in confusion and continued. "Craig never talks about that. I guess I don't really know anything about his family life. I know that his mother passed away in 1991, but that's it. He never mentions anything else." Chloe looked at Brady. "It's not in the diaries either, Brady. Nancy never makes the connection in there about Craig... and...."  
  
Sam nodded knowingly. "Well, I'm not surprised. Craig was never really happy here, or being a part of this family. His real father left them before he was even born, and it left Beatrice to raise him on her own. She married my father so she could have some stability in her life, and so Craig would be taken care of. He paid for him to go to medical school, tried to give him the best, but they never did get along."  
  
Chloe sighed sadly. "So, Beatrice Lennox was Beatrice Wesley..."  
  
"Yes... She passed away 10 years ago with a heart attack. That was the last time I saw Craig. I spoke to him a few times after that, but not for 8 or 9 years now. He used to be close with my sister Laura, and even she hasn't heard from him in 6 years."  
  
"I had no idea..."  
  
"Well, obviously Craig and Nancy don't reveal anything to anyone. You had no idea about us, and I can tell you that I had no idea you existed either. As far as I knew, Craig said many many times that he never wanted to have children."  
  
Chloe wrinkled her eyebrows. "Do you know why that is?"  
  
"I don't know... he always said that he was afraid he would turn out just like his father and end up being an absent father or a bad father or something. That's a pretty ridiculous theory, if you ask me."  
  
Chloe nodded understandingly. "It is... Craig is a good man, and he's been very good to me in the past 2 years. And, believe me, he didn't want to be a father to me or anyone, but he has been... closest I've ever had to one."  
  
"I'm not sure why he never told you all of this himself, or why Nancy wouldn't tell you. But, that's between all of you, and it's really none of my business. I just don't understand why Craig and Nancy have so much hatred of their lives here in Newport."  
  
Chloe looked downward at her feet and sighed. "I think I'm beginning to understand..." Sam looked at her in confusion, and she attempted a weak smile. Chloe was still in shock, but things were becoming clearer to her.   
  
"Well, I've been curious for awhile... What have those two been up to all this time?"  
  
"We live in Salem, Illinois... My mother has a radio show, and Craig is the Chief of Staff at the hospital."  
  
"Then... Craig is not your father? I notice you refer to Nancy as your mother, but you only call him Craig."  
  
Chloe paused and shook her head. "No... he's not. My mother... was raped by someone... I don't know who he is."   
  
Chloe cringed as she lied to her newly discovered half-brother. She just didn't have the heart to ruin how Sam Jr. might feel about his father. The man was dead and buried, and Chloe decided not to air the dirty laundry to a son who probably had no idea what kind of a man his father really was.  
  
Sam Jr. nodded sympathetically. "I'm sorry to hear that. Let's see, you said you were 17, right? I believe I was in Europe around that time. I know that Craig and Nancy had a break-up around that time, but since I wasn't here, I didn't even know that she was pregnant."  
  
"Nobody did. She hid it from everyone and then she went to Boston when she began to show."  
  
"Well, I hope you can find whatever it is you're looking for. I wish I was a bigger help."  
  
"No, no, no. You have been very helpful. Thank you so much for talking to me."  
  
"Not a problem... if you do me a favor." Sam Jr. gave her a friendly smile.  
  
"Sure..." Chloe nodded.  
  
"Please... tell Craig that his family here would like to hear from him. I know that we're not blood related, but Laura and I still would like to keep in touch with him."  
  
Chloe smiled back at him. "Absolutely... I'll make sure he gets the message. Anyway... I think I've taken up enough of your time... Thanks again... it really means a lot to me."  
  
"Are you sure you don't want to come in and have a cup of coffee or something?"  
  
Chloe shook her head. "Noooo... no thank you. We need to go. This has all been very enlightening. By the way, where is your father buried at?"  
  
"He's buried in the family plot at Greenbriar Cemetary. It's not hard to find. There's a big stone monument with the name Lennox on it."  
  
Chloe nodded and shook his hand again. "Thank you, Mr. Lennox... I appreciate that."  
  
He smiled and let go of her hand. "You're welcome, Miss Lane, Mr. Black... Take care."  
  
Brady nodded in his direction as he closed the door to the house. Chloe turned around and he followed her down the stairs to the sidewalk in front of the van. She leaned against the side of the van with a sigh and shook her head in confusion.  
  
"Brady... I can't even believe it..."  
  
Brady stepped towards her and gave her a quick embrace. "I know... I bet you didn't think you'd get this many answers in less than 15 minutes."  
  
Chloe chuckled softly and sighed again. "Hmph... Answers, and maybe more questions too. But it kinda is beginning to all make sense finally. Nancy never told him about the rape because she knew what the consequences would be. Not just from Albert, but she knew that it would tear Craig's family apart too. Craig had never had a real family of his own, and she didn't want to take his stepfamily away from him."  
  
"So, to save Craig's family... she sacrificed her happiness and yours."  
  
Chloe nodded sadly. "I guess so. I don't know if it was the right decision, but it must have seemed like it at the time."  
  
Chloe felt a few warm tears fall down her face.  
  
"Chloe... she had no idea what would happen. A lot of children go to good homes when they get adopted. Maybe she figured anything you got was better than all the dysfunctional crap she had to go through here."  
  
"Maybe..." Chloe sniffled and wiped a few tears away. "She did what she had to do, and I understand. I finally understand, Brady."  
  
"What exactly do you understand?"  
  
"That it's all kind of pointless, don't you think?"  
  
"Pointless? You mean we drove 1100 miles to discover that everything is pointless?"  
  
Chloe shook her head in disagreement. "No, that's not what I meant. I mean... you were right before... when you said we have to let go of the past. I mean, I know all of this information now... but what does it change? It changes nothing. I have more knowledge now, and more understanding of the situation but it doesn't change the relationships in my life."  
  
Brady nodded and took her in his arms. "Are you sure about that? I mean, don't you think you'll feel differently about Nancy now?"  
  
Chloe leaned out of the embrace and looked at him. "Yes and no. It doesn't change the fact that Nancy does care about me... And, deep down I care about her too. It doesn't seem like it because I have all this pent up anger and frustration, but she's my mother, of course I care about her. It doesn't change that, it just makes it easier to understand her... easier to say that I care about her. You love who you love... the past can't change that... nothing can. You see what I mean?"  
  
"I don't know... I think so..." Brady looked at her like he only half understood.  
  
Chloe sighed and gave a serious glance. "Brady... it's like... think about your dad, okay? There are a lot of things about his past that you probably don't know. And, there might be things that happened that were bad or wrong or something that you just wouldn't like to hear. But, would it matter? You'd still love him anyway, right?"  
  
Brady nodded vehemently. "Of course I would... I think I see what you're saying. So, is that how you feel about Nancy?"  
  
Chloe nodded and smiled. "I think so... I have to leave the past behind. She did what she thought was best, and just because it didn't work out that well doesn't mean that I need to hate her anymore. Believe, I don't want to hate her... I never have... I just couldn't let go of the pain."  
  
"And now you can?"  
  
"I think so. People make mistakes... and you have to move on. We all make mistakes. None of us are perfect... but we try to do the best we know how. It just doesn't always work."  
  
Brady looked at her with mock amazement. "You mean... I'm NOT perfect?"  
  
Chloe laughed and shook her head. "Perfectly delusional, maybe. I mean, you've done some pretty rotten things, Brady Black... But, I still..." Chloe hesitated at what words would come next. "...kinda like you anyway."   
  
Brady frowned at her sarcastically. "Geez... thanks... you're no angel yourself, you know."  
  
Chloe chuckled and winked at him. "You know something? I think we are both in need of some serious psychotherapy."  
  
Brady cringed and laughed. "You're probably right..."  
  
Chloe looked at him with one raised eyebrow. "Probably? Oh no... *definitely*..."  
  
"Well... now that you've had your grand epiphany right here on Primrose Lane... Which, by the way, you should have had a long time ago when *I* was the one who told you to leave the past where it belongs..."  
  
"Hey... I wasn't ready for the epiphany then. Now... it's an informed epiphany instead of an uninformed epiphany. One of those can be hazardous to your mental health. "  
  
Brady laughed and rolled his eyes. "Mmm-hmmm... that's just your clever way of getting out of telling me that I've been right this entire time."  
  
Chloe shifted nervously. "Well... maybe... Okay, yes... I just don't want to hear 'I told you so'... But, yes you were right about everything. About letting go of the past, and the pain and everything... but as much as I generally trust what you have to say, I think I had to realize that for myself."  
  
Brady grinned at her. "Well, as long as we admit that I'm right... Where do we go from here?"  
  
"Well, I can't exactly talk to my father, can I? But, I think I have another idea."  
  
Brady smiled and kissed her quickly. "Well, then... hop in... and point me in the right direction."  
  
Chloe smiled back at him. "After lunch. All that library research made me hungry."  
  
Brady let go of her and they got in the van to search for a place to have lunch at.  
***  



	16. Confrontation

Chapter Sixteen  
  
Chloe and Brady sat across from each other at a table in a local cafe. She nibbled on the lettuce from her salad as she skimmed through the third diary. Chloe paused her reading and looked up at Brady.  
  
"I guess this is what a nervous breakdown looks like on paper."  
  
Brady raised his eyebrows. "You think so?"  
  
Chloe nodded. "Absolutely... She was raped by her boyfriend's stepfather, Craig broke up with her, she got pregnant and then she had to put the baby up for adoption. She felt totally alone... And believe me, I know how that feels. At least the part about feeling 'totally alone'."  
  
"So, I guess reading that diary is like looking into a bottomless pit."  
  
"Pretty much... I wonder how she got through it all. I mean, granted, she's not exactly a walking advertisement for normality these days, but she's not nuts or manic depressive or anything. This diary... it's kinda terrifying... She really snapped over this whole thing... Can't say I blame her either."  
  
Brady smiled sympathetically at her. "But Craig came back to her... I'm sure that helped."  
  
"Absolutely... In fact, it's probably the only thing that pulled her out of this hole that she was in."  
  
"Well, it makes sense... No matter how strong a person is, they can't always get through things without help."  
  
Chloe smiled weakly. "Yeah, but sometimes it's hard to ask for help. Especially when you're stubborn or independent."  
  
Brady looked at her skeptically. "Well... now... I think we're talking about YOU and not your mother."  
  
"Maybe... It's tough, Brady. I've had to depend on myself and only myself for so long that I don't know how to handle it when people want to help me. Most of the time... I think I don't need their help, but I probably do."  
  
"Yeah, I think I can identify with that."  
  
Chloe smirked. "Yeah, I know you can... You've always had a tendency to kinda shut people out who care about you... Except for maybe Belle, right?"  
  
Brady shrugged. "Something like that. I mean... Belle has always been the only one I could truly talk to. But, all that changed recently..."  
  
Chloe raised her eyebrows. "It did?"  
  
"Oh yeah... There's you now. Whether I wanted to or not, you always forced me into talking to you about Marlena or whatever else was pissing me off from day to day."  
  
"Cause... it was such a hassle to have to talk to crazy ol' Ghoul Girl without me forcing you to?"  
  
"Noooo... because I didn't like to talk to anybody. But, you're different. You never take any crap from me, Chloe... and you've always understood what I'm talking about, even if you think I'm wrong."  
  
Chloe gave him a self-satisfied smile. "Well, that's true. I don't really take crap from anyone, and I wasn't going to make an exception for you. Besides, I know how much you love to pick on me, and I just wanted to give it right back to you as good as I got it."  
  
"Awwwww... that's so sweet..." Brady smiled and winked at her. "Is it any wonder that I made you my girlfriend?"  
  
Chloe's eyes widened. "Made me? I don't think so, Brady. More like, I *let* you be *my* boyfriend."  
  
"Well... it's an honor AND a privilege then. And, you know I only pick on you because I want you to be happy."  
  
Chloe laughed out loud. "Well, that's kind of backwards logic, isn't it? You don't think picking on me made me UNhappy?"  
  
"I don't know. I may have been a bit harsh at times, but at least it made you think, right?"  
  
"Okay okay... Sure... Why are you such a challenge to be around?"  
  
Brady shrugged and grinned at her. "Because that's what you need. And you know I'm right."  
  
Chloe gave in and smiled at him as she leaned over the table to give him a kiss. "Well... you COULD be right... That still remains to be seen. Anyway, Mr. Challenging... finish your sandwich so we can get out of here."  
  
Brady leaned back in the booth with a grin and waved his hands in front of me. "Hey... I take orders from no one. I'll finish when I'm good and ready."  
  
There was an awkward silence as Chloe gave him what he liked to call 'the look'. Both eyebrows raised high, eyes opened wider than usual, and her lips pursed up. She knew the effect it had, and that it always gave Brady the signal that it was her turn to do be the boss. He tried to stare her down and shake her from her stance, but she knew he couldn't do it. He finally relented and picked up the last part of his sandwich and devoured it quickly.  
  
Chloe rewarded him with a dazzling smile. "I win this time..."  
  
"Yeah, yeah, yeah... I just let you win... you know that."  
  
Chloe nodded sarcastically. "Sure, sure... whatever. You know that you're just putty in my hands."  
  
Brady looked at her in disgust. "You wish..."  
  
Chloe laughed and rolled her eyes at him as he laid money down for the bill. She took a final sip of her iced tea and stood up from the table.  
  
"Alright, come on... We've got something important to do." She turned on her heel and marched towards the exit.  
  
Brady sighed and slid out of the booth as she walked away. He knew he would never be as bad as that lovesick puppy Phillip was, but he had to let Chloe get her way once in a while. So, he dutifully followed her out the door and towards the van.  
  
***  
  
Chloe looked at the cold stone monument in front of her. It was square and marble and decorated with angels. The name Lennox was inscribed in large, bold letters on the front. She looked down at the first two grave markers.  
  
"Beatrice Margaret Wesley Lennox - Beloved Mother and Wife"  
  
and  
  
"Samuel Malcolm Lennox - Beloved Father and Husband"  
  
Chloe suppressed an urge to laugh but muttered under her breath. "Beloved Father... hmph..."  
  
She sighed and clutched the third diary to her chest. She had brought it out here to try and release the pain that was locked inside. Chloe wished she could do it face to face with the man who caused it, but this would have to do. Brady slipped in behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist.   
  
"You okay?"  
  
"Mmm-hmmm... I just need to do what I came here for."  
  
"You want me to leave you alone? I can go wait in the van."  
  
Chloe shook her head as she turned to face him. "Absolutely not... I want you to be here. I... I *need* you to be here."  
  
Brady smiled and kissed her on the forehead. "You got it."  
  
Chloe took a deep breath as she sat down on the bench that faced the family plot. Brady sat beside her and put a comforting hand on her knee. She breathed in deeply again as she opened the diary to the page she was looking for.  
  
She looked at Sam's grave for a moment before reading. "This one's for you, Sam..." She paused briefly and then read from the diary. "My life might as well be over. And for what? Because of one man who couldn't control himself. I have now lost everything. I hate Sam Lennox, and I hate my father for allowing this to happen. Craig and I are no longer together, and I don't know if we ever will be again. And... my daughter. My Chloe. I had this beautiful baby girl in my arms just 4 days ago, and now she is gone. She was perfect in every way, and I have lost her forever. It feels like God has punished me, but I don't know why. I haven't done anything wrong... I've tried to be a good person my whole life, but what's the point? It doesn't matter how good I've been, because bad things have happened to me. I will never understand why for as long as I live. I only hope that my baby Chloe can be shielded from the things that I have been through this year. I wish I could protect her, but I can't do that anymore. She is in God's hands now, and I hope he takes care of her. Please don't let her hate me. I only wanted to do what was best for her, and being a member of this family is not it. Sam Lennox is a hateful, terrible man and I pray that he will be punished for his sins worse than I have been punished. It isn't fair that he gets to live his life and be happy despite what he's done, and I have to suffer."  
  
Chloe snapped the book shut and looked up at the headstone. "And to think... that's one of her happier days, Sam."  
  
Chloe stood up and passed the book to Brady. She walked towards the headstone and stared at the name with pain in her eyes. "I hope you're getting everything you deserve down there in hell, Sam Lennox. I know that you never cared that you may have hurt someone, but I want to tell you something. You may have destroyed Nancy then, but not anymore, she is stronger than that. She didn't let hate rule her life. That would have only turned her into a monster like you."  
  
Chloe stopped as she felt the sobs well up inside of her. She took a deep breath before continuing. "I am not going to cry in front of you. You are not going to make me cry. You are not worth it. All these years of pain and hatred and sadness, and I came here and found out that you're not worth even a second of my time or my thoughts. You didn't destroy Nancy, and you're not going to destroy me either. I will not let my pain rule me anymore. Your blood may be running through my veins, but you are not my father. When I was a little girl, I used to dream that my father would be a loving, kind, brave, generous, smart and wonderful person... and you are none of those things."  
  
Chloe paused as a new realization spread into her mind. She smiled weakly at the thought. "But Craig is all of that... and even more."  
  
Chloe stepped closer to Beatrice's grave marker and kneeled down beside it. She lightly dusted it off and traced the name with her fingertips.  
  
"You did what you had to do, Beatrice. And no matter what, you raised a son who I love and respect. Thank you."   
  
She smiled softly at Beatrice's headstone and moved away. She turned to look at Sam's grave one more time.  
  
"And that's it for you, Sam. I know I could scream and yell and cry for hours, but you're not worth it. It would only show you that what you did means something, but I don't think it does. Someone told me once that it didn't matter how I got into this world, it just matters that I'm here. As far as I'm concerned, your name means nothing to me anymore."  
  
Chloe moved further away from the grave until she was standing close to Brady. He clasped her hand and smiled weakly in her direction. She smiled back and laid her head on his shoulder.  
  
"I'm ready to go now..."  
  
Brady kissed her gently on the top of her head and silently walked with her until they reached the van. She placed her back against the side of the van and sighed deeply. Chloe closed her eyes tightly and a few hot tears squeezed out of them and rolled down her face. She wiped the tears off with the back of her hand and opened her eyes to see Brady standing in front of her.  
  
"Oh God... Brady... I..."  
  
Brady reached for her and pulled her into an embrace. "Shhh... you don't have to say anything, Chloe."  
  
Chloe wanted to stay right there forever. She felt safe with his strong arms wrapped around her. Chloe leaned slightly away from him so she could look up at him. "I'm... just spent... I feel like I need to take a nap or something. Does that sound ridiculous?"  
  
Brady shook his head vehemently. "Absolutely not... you've been through a lot today... and you were so brave. I am so proud of you Chloe."  
  
Chloe looked at him with a surprised glance. "Proud of me? For what? It was pretty much a one-sided conversation conversation I was having out there."  
  
"So? It was still brave, Chloe. You confronted your feelings head on. And... I'm proud because you've decided not to hold on to all this pain you have. Hating that man just gives his actions more credibility, and you know that."  
  
Chloe nodded sadly. "Yeah... but that doesn't make it all go away. I feel better now, but it's not like all the pain just disappeared with a snap of my fingers."  
  
"I know, and sometimes it never goes away... but it gets better."  
  
Chloe sighed and rested her head on his chest. "I know..."  
  
Brady smiled and stroked her hair with one hand. "Good... now, let's say we get you back to the hotel so you can take that nap that you mentioned."  
  
Chloe looked up at him and smiled. "That's the best idea I've heard all day."  
  
He kissed her on the forehead and released her from the embrace. They both got in the van, and Chloe took one last glance at the cemetary before they headed off. She quietly thought to say goodbye to the Lennox family, as she planned to never come back here again.  
***  



	17. The Letter

Chapter Seventeen  
  
Once the got back to the hotel, Chloe had decided to take a long hot bath. She wanted at least one chance to take advantage of the gigantic roman tub that the hotel bathroom provided. When she finished and stepped outside of the bathroom she saw Brady sitting in the middle of his bed with one of Nancy's diaries in one hand and a plain white envelope in the other.  
  
He looked up at her and shrugged his shoulders as if he was in shock. "Chloe... you're not going to believe this..."  
  
Chloe looked at him with a glance of fear. "Believe what? What is it, Brady? Is everything okay?"  
  
"I... I was putting this diary back with the others... And..." He moved the hand with the envelope towards her. "And, the corner of this slid out."  
  
Chloe took the envelope from his hand and glanced at it. On the front of the envelope, written in Nancy's thin, neat script was one name: Chloe. She looked at it disbelief and sat on the edge of the bed. Chloe ran one finger over the place where her name was written and sighed. She gently turned the envelope over and carefully tore the flap open. She pulled the paper out from inside and unfolded it slowly.  
  
"It's dated... three days after my birthdate."  
  
She took a deep breath before she began reading, but instead of continuing she laid the note on the bed beside her and turned to Brady.  
  
"I... I can't do it. You have to read it for me. Please, please, Brady."  
  
"Are you sure?"  
  
"Yes... please..."  
  
Brady spied the desperation in her eyes and nodded. "Of course, then..."  
  
He smiled at her and kissed her on the forehead before he read the letter out loud.  
  
"My Dear Chloe Michele,  
  
You have just left me no more than an hour ago. The adoption service came to take you from me today. My heart feels broken, and I am writing this in hopes that someday when you are older you will read it and understand.  
  
I pray that you will not hate me when you are old enough to understand that I have given you up. I love you, my baby, no matter what. I hope you can realize that I have only done what I thought is best for you. It tears me into pieces because I can't keep you. Unfortunately, the situation that I am in right now leaves me no other choice but to let you go. You will be much happier with a family who can take care of you the way that you deserve.  
  
I know that nothing I can say to you will make everything okay. But there are a few things you need to know. I love you more than anyone or anything in this world. I didn't think it was possible to love something so much but I have spent three days with you now, and I understand what love really is now. You are an amazing, perfect creature and don't let anyone ever tell you differently. I have faith in you, and I know that you will grow up to be a wonderful, intelligent, beautiful, kind and loving young woman. Every day for the rest of my life, I will think of you and pray for your happiness and success in life. Do not make the mistakes I have made, always be honest and true to yourself. Don't ever let someone push you around or force you into something you aren't willing to do.  
  
Normally birth mothers do not get to name their children, but thankfully I have been allowed to. And, this is my gift to you. Although, I will not be able to watch you grow up and experience all the wonderful things that go with it. But, always remember that your name was given to you by me and think of a mother who loves you deeply when you think of that name. I know that from now on when I hear the name Chloe, I will always think of my baby daughter.  
  
I will love you always.  
  
Nancy"  
  
Chloe had begun to sob halfway through Brady's reading of the letter. He instinctively threw an arm around her and she rested her head on his shoulder and cried into it. After he was finished he placed the letter aside and wrapped both arms around her tightly. Brady held her and stroked her hair until her sobbing began to subside. He reached over and grabbed a few tissues out of the box on the nighttable and handed them to her. She lifted her head and blew her nose into them as she smiled weakly at Brady.  
  
"Wow... that was just... wow."  
  
Brady nodded in agreement. "Pretty amazing, huh?"  
  
"Yeah... I can't even describe it, Brady. I have so much to say to her now... And, I think I need to apologize."  
  
Brady looked perplexed. "Apologize for what?"  
  
"I have to apologize to Nancy for the way that I've acted. I mean, she hasn't been perfect since I've gotten there herself... but I've been terrible to her. I just assumed that she never loved me and still doesn't. I thought that she only brought me to Salem because she felt guilty for leaving me in an orphanage and not because she actually cared about me at all."  
  
Chloe sighed and shook her head in shame, as Brady protested. "But, she has been pretty over-protective of you... Nancy isn't the easiest person to get along with."  
  
"No, Brady... see... She's a mom, she's supposed to be overprotective and we're not supposed to get along with each other. That's just how family works. And, the only reason why she acts that way is because she worries. I see that now. Between the diaries, and the letters and the whole trip... I understand her now."  
  
"So, what are you going to do when you get home?"  
  
Chloe cringed in fear. "You mean... we have to go home?"  
  
Brady chuckled and brushed a piece of hair off of Chloe's face. "Well, yes... eventually. We certainly can't stay gone forever. Besides, as much as I pretend to hate Salem, I really don't..."  
  
Chloe nodded reservedly. "I know, I know. I just don't want to face the music. I'm finally to the point where I don't hate Nancy, and I WANT us to have a relationship with her... but... she's going to kill me when she finds out what I've done."  
  
Brady shook his head. "Not necessarily..."  
  
"If you don't think so, then maybe you don't know Nancy very well. She's going to go ballistic when she finds out I didn't go on the school trip. And, she's going to be even more angry when she finds out what I REALLY did and who I did it with."  
  
"Okay, granted... she will be mad... furious even. But, don't you think the truth is important? I think she needs to know the truth, and so does Craig. Things are going to be awful when it comes out, but it will heal. Like you said, Chloe... once somebody loves you, they will always love you no matter how mad they are. So, it's either tell them the truth or we can go home the same day that Belle and Shawn get home from Puerto Rico and pretend that NONE of this ever happened."  
  
Chloe looked downward and sighed. "I know... you're right. I can't lie about this. I've lied enough already. And, that's what I feel the most guilty about. I know I didn't have a choice, I couldn't exactly come out and share all my plans with them... but it still bothers me."  
  
"Nancy has lied to you for seventeen years, Chloe..."  
  
Chloe sighed softly. "Doesn't matter... my lies would just perpetuate this whole policy of secrecy in this family. And Craig... he's never done anything to me that warrants me lying to him. It's not fair..."  
  
Brady grasped her arms with his hands and stared her straight in the eyes. "Chloe... you have to stop this. Stop it. You did what was necessary, just like your mother did in the past. It may hurt people, but in the long run, it will be worth it. There is no way that your family would be able to survive on years of lies for much longer. You know the truth now, and if you want this family to work, you have to tell them. It doesn't matter what you had to do to get to the truth, it matters what you do with it now that you have it."  
  
Chloe sighed deeply and rested her head on his chest again. "I just dread it, Brady... I wish I could fast forward through all of this and get to the part where nobody is mad at me anymore."  
  
Brady chuckled softly and kissed the top of her head. "Yeah right... if only it were so easy."  
  
Chloe moved out of their embrace and threw herself onto the bed. "Ohhhhh... what am I gonna do? I still have a week before I even have to be home, don't I?"  
  
Brady laid back on the bed beside her and grinned. "Pretty much. We could pretend we're on a real vacation if you're not ready to go back to Salem yet. You know... see the sights, have some fun... the whole thing."  
  
Chloe groaned. "I don't know... I kind of want to get this over with as soon as possible, but on the other hand, I don't..."  
  
"Well, you've got time to decide... Figure it out in the morning... or the next day or the day after that."  
  
Chloe laughed softly and rolled on her side to face Brady. "Yeah, no decisions today... I don't want any part of that."  
  
Brady smiled at her. "Well good... then let's just order another round of room service tonight and have ourselves a little hotel room picnic."  
  
Chloe grinned and kissed him gently. "Best idea I've heard all day."  
***  



	18. Cheerleading: Sport of the Future

(Much much much later... after room service...)  
  
Chloe laid on her stomach watching the TV screen in front of her as Brady laid beside her and flipped the channels rapidly. He stopped at a movie that Chloe had watched on video with Shawn and Belle just a few weeks ago.  
  
"No, no, no, Brady... I just saw this movie. What else is on?"  
  
Brady resumed his channel surfing and groaned quietly. "Come on, Chloe... It's late... there's nothing else on except..." Brady paused and gaped at the screen. "...National Cheerleading Championships. Alriiiiiight."  
  
Chloe looked at him with her eyebrows raised. "You MUST be joking."  
  
Brady shook his head vehemently. "Oh no... I am totally serious. This is fascinating stuff. Athleticism and showmanship all in one night. Wow."  
  
"Right. Athleticism, showmanship and pert girls in teeny tiny skirts."  
  
"Hey, it has nothing to do with the skirts... I mean, I'm not going to complain about them. But... watching cheerleading competitions on cable is like passing a car wreck on the highway."  
  
"And how is that?"  
  
Brady spoke with exaggerated drama in his voice. "It's like... you know that it's going to be terrifying to watch, but you can't take your eyes off it. You try to look away, but it's impossible. You are completely glued to it."  
  
Chloe laughed softly and rolled her eyes. "So, 'morbidly fascinating' would be the best two words to describe it?"  
  
Brady nodded affirmatively. "Absolutely..."  
  
"Brady Black... you are a certifiable freak."  
  
Brady shrugged and grinned at her. "And proud of it too..."  
  
Chloe laughed out loud. "Well, that's fine... but I am NOT watching cheerleading."   
  
She slyly grinned at him and made a grab for the remote control. Brady was too quick for her as he threw one long arm up into the air and over until he was flat on his back and she couldn't reach the remote anymore. Chloe growled in frustration and and sat halfway up until she could put both of her hands on his chest. She kept him from sitting up as she put one arm across his chest as the other one reached for the remote. Chloe almost had it until he used his other arm to wrap around her waist and rolled her until she was flat on her back and half of his body was on top of her.  
  
Brady smiled widely at her. "You are no match for me, Chloe Lane."  
  
Chloe furrowed her eyebrows together and frowned. "Is that so, huh?"  
  
Brady nodded happily. "Oh yeah... You may be tough, but..."  
  
Chloe interrupted him by lifting her head to kiss him deeply. Brady leaned into her kiss as she trailed her fingers gently up and down his arm. Once she felt that he was totally relaxed and off his guard, she deftly moved the remote out of his hand and into hers.   
  
Brady broke off and looked at her in shock. "That was so unfair..."  
  
Chloe laughed hysterically as she stared at Brady's look of disappointment. "I win... You just can't resist me..."  
  
Brady rolled away from her and laid on his back. "Well, when you play that card, I have no choice but to give in."  
  
Chloe laughed again. "It was too easy... Men are so dumb sometimes."  
  
Brady frowned and jokingly nudged her in the side. "Fine then... what does Princess Chloe want to watch?"  
  
Chloe pondered the remote for a moment. She aimed it at the TV and hit the off button, tossing it to the floor when she was done.  
  
"Nothing actually..."  
  
"Ahhhh... so you just like to fight?"  
  
"No, I'm getting tired... I want to turn the light off and get under the covers and say goodnight."  
  
Brady sat up and sighed. "Okay then... I guess it is past our bedtime."  
  
Chloe sat up next to him and smiled. "Brady... sleep with me tonight."  
  
Brady's jaw dropped in shock and his eyes widened. "WHAT?"  
  
Chloe laughed and playfully smacked him on the arm. "I don't mean like THAT, you sleaze. I just meant that... every now and then I want to wake up with you next to me. You know... like the first couple of nights of the trip."  
  
Brady smiled slightly and nodded. "Right... of course. That's exactly what you meant."  
  
Chloe rolled her eyes at him as she crawled to the other end of the bed and turned down the covers. She got underneath them and Brady followed, turning the light off before he laid down. Chloe snuggled close to him as he wrapped one arm around her and she put her head on his shoulder and sighed.  
  
"Brady..."  
  
"Mmm-hmmm..."  
  
"Tell me a story, please."  
  
"A story? Which one do you want, Rumplestiltskin or Hansel and Gretel?"  
  
Chloe chuckled softly. "No, not like that. It's just... we always talk about me and my sad sorry life. Now it's your turn. But, not the sad parts... tell happy stories."  
  
"Like what? The time I won first place in the 50 yard dash on field day in the 3rd grade?"  
  
Chloe laughed and kissed him gently on the cheek. "While I'm sure that is an enthralling tale of triumph over adversity, that's not what I had in mind. Tell me what it's like to have a sister, or tell me what you know about your mother. There's a lot I still don't know about you, Brady."  
  
Brady snickered under his breath. "Maybe that's for the best. Maybe you don't want to know."  
  
"Oh please... stop beating around the bush. Just talk."  
  
"Alright... alright... Let's see... where to start. Obviously, I don't remember my mother at all. I was just a baby when she died."  
  
"Well, tell me what you know about her."  
  
"She was beautiful. Anyone can see that just by looking at pictures of her. But, my dad says it wasn't just what you see in the pictures. She had a way of smiling at you and looking at you like you were the most important person in the world. She was kind, and helpful and caring. She was very very smart. And funny... Dad tells me that a lot of people didn't know that about her either. She had a good heart, but she was never weak. She was a very strong person... and she never backed down from anything in her life."  
  
Chloe sighed softly. "And she loved you."  
  
"Yeah, she did. My dad told me that when she found out she was sick, the thing that hurt her the most was knowing she wouldn't be able to be there for me and watch me grow up. She spent every last minute of her life with me and my father. She tried to make the most of what she had left."  
  
"And Marlena named Belle after your mom then?"  
  
Brady nodded slightly. "Right... A lot of people in Salem loved my mother, and admired her. It feels good to know that she made such an impact on the people in her life. Belle is named after her, my grandfather's magazine is named after her. She was special to everyone who knew her."  
  
"How often do you think about her?"  
  
"All the time. Every day actually. It's hard not to. She's always around me, no matter what."  
  
Chloe smiled in the darkness and placed a hand on Brady's chest. "What were Shawn and Belle like when they were kids? I'm curious..."  
  
"Exactly the same... only smaller."  
  
Chloe laughed out loud and Brady continued. "Well, maybe not exactly the same... but there's not much of a difference. Belle is always Belle. She's always been sweet, and loving, and kind. But, that's not all she is. She's smart... very smart. And tough too. She's always been that way though. A lot of people who don't know her well think that she's just the perky cheerleader type, and they underestimate her as being 'weak' because of how sweet she is. But, my sister is not weak. My earliest memories are when I was about five and she was only two years old. I tried my whole life to pick on her, because I'm the big brother and that's what I'm supposed to do, but she never let me get away with that stuff. I used to tease her mercilessly, but she'd just give it back to me, but ten times more."  
  
"Good for her. And Shawn?"  
  
Brady laughed at the memory of a young Shawn Brady. "Ohhhh, Shawn... You know his tough guy act? I hate to say it, but it's just the cool image he likes to project. He acts tough, but really he's a big sensitive type. I've got all the dirt on Shawn Brady."  
  
Chloe was intrigued. "Ohhhhh really? Like what?"  
  
"Okay... When Belle and Shawn were about 8 years old, the house that Shawn's family lived in had a wall surrounding the front yard. Well, Belle and Mimi used to walk on the wall all around the yard and pretend they were gymnasts on the balance beam, or tightrope walkers or something. So, this one day Belle is doing her tightrope act and she slips and falls off the wall. Shawn was so scared that he actually picked her up and dragged her into the house. I don't know how he did it, but he got her in there. By the time he got her inside so his mom could help, Shawn was crying harder than Belle was."  
  
"He cried and he's not even the one who fell?"  
  
"Like a baby. He was so worried about Belle being hurt that he started crying. He was just a kid, so it was understandable, but ask him today and he'd NEVER admit it. Belle was okay, but she ended up with a really terrible scrape though. It went from where her shorts ended all the way down to her ankle."  
  
Chloe nearly cringed. "Ouch."  
  
"Yeah, no kidding. Poor kid was in pain for a while too. Let's see... what else can I tell you? Did you know that my little sis has a passion for roller coasters?"  
  
Chloe lifted her head in shock. "Really? That surprises me."  
  
"Well, it wasn't always that way. The first time we went to Disneyland, she had just hit the height requirement for Space Mountain, so we all waited in line for like an hour and a half. Well, when you get closer to the front, you're basically standing right next to where the ride is and it's completely dark in there and all you can hear is the cars on the track and people screaming their heads off."  
  
"That would scare me away."  
  
"Belle too. She asked my dad if that's how it was in there, and when he answered yes, she totally freaked out. She had never been on a real roller coaster before so this was pretty frightening, you know. So, Marlena had to take her out of the line while Dad and I rode it. We went back two years later, and got her to ride it that time."  
  
"And let me guess, she's been hooked ever since?"  
  
"Basically. Not only did we get her to ride it the next time we were there, but she rode it 4 times in a row. Now she's addicted. Whenever we went on family vacations, she always begged Dad and Marlena to take her to theme parks to ride bigger, faster, scarier roller coasters. And she got her way most of the time too. She's got a pretty strong stomach."  
  
Chloe chuckled softly. "Well, obviously... I mean, you've already told me the story about getting carsick... She's got a stronger stomach than you do at least."  
  
Brady groaned. "Ohhhhhh... stop. Don't remind me."  
  
"So, have Shawn and Belle always been stuck on each other?"  
  
Brady chuckled. "Pretty much. They've been basically inseparable for an eternity, but obviously they never saw it as anything more than friends until recently. I guess if you look back on all the history they have together, it's pretty much 'meant to be'. If you believe in all that 'meant to be' kinda stuff, that is."  
  
Chloe sighed softly. "I think we'd all LIKE to believe that, even if it isn't true."  
  
"I know..." Brady turned his head and kissed her forehead softly.  
  
Chloe snuggled even closer to him and yawned. "Thank you for the bedtime stories, Brady. You should tell me stories more often."  
  
"I will... I've got tons of stories like that... Better ones even."  
  
Chloe sighed again as Brady stroked her hair until they both began to drift off to sleep. As he wavered in and out of consciousness, Brady prayed that there would be many more nights of bedtime stories in their future.  
***  



	19. Who doesn't like pewter?

(Day Six... Morning...)  
  
Chloe was finishing her pancakes as Brady went over some maps in the hotel restaurant. They had yet to make a decision as to what to do next, but had packed up and checked out of their room anyway. Chloe didn't know where they were going, but she knew that she was done in Newport no matter what.  
  
Brady put the map down and looked across the table at Chloe. "Chloe... where are we going to go?"  
  
Chloe shrugged and mumbled through a mouthful of pancakes. "Don't know... any ideas?"  
  
Brady gave her his wickedest grin before continuing. "Hmmmm... you know what spontaneity is, right?"  
  
Chloe raised both eyebrows. "Do *I* know what spontaneity is? I did kinda drop everything to drive 1100 miles in a van with you, didn't I? That was pretty damn spontaneous."  
  
"Yeah, but I'm talking... more spontaneous than that. Have you ever been to New York?"  
  
Chloe almost choked on her orange juice. "WHAT? Of course not... I mean, I've never been anywhere really. Nowhere interesting."  
  
"Well, New York City is about 200 miles from here. We can be there in about 3 hours if the traffic is good."  
  
Chloe looked at him with a mixture of surprise and excitement. "I guess... I mean... I don't see why not. It's not like it's really out of the way, right?"  
  
Brady nodded in agreement. "Nope... It's not on our exact route home... but it's still the same mileage pretty much."  
  
Chloe paused for a moment before breaking into a wide smile. "Alright then... let's go for broke."  
  
Brady smiled back at her. "Boy... I am just FULL of good ideas."  
  
Chloe rolled her eyes and muttered under her breath. "Full of SOMETHING... maybe."  
  
They both laughed and Brady went back to studying his map as Chloe quickly finished her breakfast.  
  
***  
  
(Approximately three and a half hours later...)  
  
Brady had found a parking garage right off of Times Square and parked the van in the nearest available space. He jumped out quickly and Chloe followed suit.  
  
"Uhm... Brady, did you see how expensive it is to park here?"  
  
Brady grinned at her. "You only live once, Chloe."  
  
Chloe rolled her eyes at him and they began walking towards the exit to the street. She quietly muttered under her breath, "At these prices you can't afford to live more than once. Geez..."  
  
"Don't worry about the money. Please. Just have fun while you still can."  
  
Chloe clasped his hand and stared at the sunlight as they hit the sidewalk outside. She turned to Brady and smiled. "Okay, Sugar Daddy... whatever you say."  
  
Brady squinted as he looked all around them. "It's worth the money, isn't it?"  
  
Chloe looked around in amazement and nodded slightly. "Yeah... I mean, you see Times Square on TV all the time, but I never thought it would be like this."  
  
"Looks exactly how you imagine it... only bigger."  
  
"And brighter."  
  
Brady turned and winked at her. "Well, we shouldn't stand here all day talking about it... Let's do some walking."  
  
***  
  
(Later... inside a gift shop...)  
  
Chloe stood in line behind two other tourists at the register. She had picked out a few choice items to bring back for Shawn and Belle, and two disposable cameras so she could remember her day in the Big Apple. Brady came over to her from the other side of the store and held up something in front of her.  
  
"Look. New York City snowglobe. Oooohhhhh."  
  
Chloe laughed out loud and said, "Nice. Cheesy, but nice."  
  
"I also got Empire State Building and Statue of Liberty pencil sharpeners."  
  
Chloe looked at him skeptically. "And how often do you need to sharpen pencils, Brady? I sincerely doubt that the amount of pencil sharpening you do would faciliate the use of one of those things, much less TWO."  
  
Brady pouted slightly. "But... they're pewter."  
  
"Oh well, that changes everything. I just wanted to make sure you know what you're getting into, and now that you've said the magic word... 'pewter.' Well, I totally understand."  
  
Brady teasingly stuck his tongue out at her. "Ha ha... you must think you're so funny."  
  
Chloe nodded proudly. "Uh huh."  
  
Brady quietly pouted while she paid for her items, and he paid for his. They walked outside the store and Chloe pulled the disposable camera out of her bag and took a quick picture of Brady outside the store.  
  
Brady groaned as she wound the film. "Oh, we really didn't need a picture of that, did we?"  
  
"Sure, sure we did. I've never been to New York and I want pictures of everything."  
  
"Including one of me with my head down, staring at my receipt and wondering what the market price for pewter is?"  
  
Chloe nodded and smiled. "Absolutely..."  
  
Brady rolled his eyes and shoved the receipt back in the beg. "Well, it's your film. Waste it all you want."  
  
Chloe paused and looked downward for a moment. "Brady... Does it feel weird here?"  
  
Brady glanced at her in confusion. "You mean... because of the humidity?"  
  
Chloe supressed her laughter and continued, "No... Because on a day like today, or the day we spent touring Boston, it's like we're on a vacation, but we're really not. We didn't go on this trip to have fun, but we're turning it into some sort of summer vacation."  
  
Brady nodded knowingly. "So, you're feeling guilty again?"  
  
Chloe sighed and said, "Yeah, maybe. It's just... I have to go home and face the music with Craig and Nancy soon, and it doesn't seem fair to lie to them and then go out and have an actual vacation. This is an odd trip. Lots of lows, and lots of highs. I hate to have to confront them with all these painful memories, while I've got souvenirs from my ever so fun time in New York in my suitcase. It's oddly balanced is what I mean."  
  
"I understand... but don't let it get you down. How often do you get the chance to do stuff like this? Just enjoy it while we still can, and worry about the consequences later. Don't let all this stuff ruin your first trip to the Big Apple."  
  
Chloe smiled and nodded. "Okay, okay... you're right. I just think my mind has a chemical response to fun and joy."  
  
"Oh, I see. You have moments of fun and happiness and then the ol' brain starts to make the dark and ugly thoughts creep in."  
  
"Not my best quality."  
  
Brady grinned at her. "Not your worst one either..."  
  
Chloe's mouth opened in shock and she playfully hit Brady on the arm. "That was so cruel. You're the last person who should talk about having faults."  
  
Brady's expression faded and he clasped her hand and turned to walk down the street. "Alright, anyway, I was thinking... if we head this way, we can take the subway..."  
  
Chloe laughed out loud and followed him down the street. "Nice rapid change of subject there. Very inconspicuous too."  
  
Brady glanced at her quickly and winked. "I'm not changing the subject. I'm just saying that we have places to go... so come on."  
  
Chloe didn't buy it, but followed him anyway.  
  
***  
  
(Much much later... right around dusk.)  
  
Chloe plopped down on the bench next to Brady and took a sip of her water. Brady was just finishing up the last bite of the pretzel he had bought from one of the vendors in Central Park.  
  
"Oh Brady... I didn't know you could get so much sightseeing done in one day. Empire State Building, Times Square, Rockefeller Center, Radio City Music Hall and now Central Park. Amazing."  
  
Brady wiped a few crumbs from his mouth and shrugged. "Yeah, well, you've just got to learn to budget your time wisely."  
  
"And wear comfortable shoes." Chloe groaned as she remembered her own tired feet.  
  
"Awww... do your feet hurt?"  
  
"Just a little... I knew it was big, but I had no idea that Central Park was THIS big."  
  
Brady nodded. "Feels like it's bigger than Rhode Island, doesn't it? But, don't worry... where we're going next will only mean minimal walking. I promise."  
  
Chloe looked at him with surprise and said, "You have a plan then?"  
  
"Just something I thought up a little while ago. Something that I KNOW you will enjoy."  
  
"And it's not a foot massage?"  
  
Brady laughed. "No, it's not a foot massage. Sorry to disappoint you."  
  
"Well then, where is it?"  
  
Brady threw the paper from his pretzel in the trash can next to him and turned to face Chloe. He clasped both of her hands in his and smiled sweetly at her. "Some place you've always wanted to go, and that's all I'm saying until we get there."  
  
Chloe frowned at him. "Jerk."  
  
Brady kissed her forehead and gently stroked her hair. "Ahhh, the tender words that I so love to hear."  
  
He stood from the bench and pulled her up with him. "Now, now... no more pouting. We have to hail a taxi and you don't want the driver to think you're a sullen girl."  
  
Chloe couldn't help but break a smile as Brady led her to the street. They waited around for a few minutes until an empty cab passed by and Brady stuck his hand out to motion it to the curb. Chloe got in first, as Brady whispered their intended destination to the driver. Chloe attempted to stretch her legs out for the rest of the ride, and rested her head on Brady's shoulder.  
  
Awhile later, the cab came to a halt and Brady quickly paid the driver. He helped Chloe out of the car, and she looked all around her to try and get a feel for her surroundings.  
  
Brady grinned at her and pointed at the buildings in front of them. "Here we are, Chloe. Welcome to Lincoln Center."  
  
"Lincoln Center..."  
  
Brady finished her thought for her, "Also home of the world famous New York Metropolitan Opera House. Not to mention, the future home for the greatest soprano in history, Chloe Lane."  
  
Chloe looked him and laughed. "Yeah right, I wish."  
  
"Wishes can come true... come on."   
  
Brady smiled at her and led her to the front of the opera house. It was now almost completely dark outside, and the opera house was lit up on the inside. Chloe stared at it in awe and sighed.  
  
"It's beautiful... but empty."  
  
Brady nodded. "The new opera season doesn't start until September, but they still turn the lights on at night."  
  
"Well, it's amazing."  
  
They walked up the front doors and peered inside. Chloe walked up and down the front of the building and looked at the schedule for the coming season in the box office window.   
  
"Oh, Brady... Listen to this."  
  
Brady walked over to her and she continued, "Their opening night gala is a tribute to Puccini. I just love Tosca."  
  
"Then sing some."  
  
Chloe's eyes widened and she replied, "What? Sing some right here?"  
  
"No, we're going to break in to the building and perform it on stage."  
  
"We are?"  
  
Brady gave her a more serious glance. "Don't be so gullible, Chloe. As much as I like to pioneer my rebellious spirit, I really don't like the idea of getting arrested by the NYPD."  
  
Chloe chuckled softly. "Well, I wouldn't put ANYTHING past you. So, why do you want me to sing?"  
  
"Well, you always say that you want to sing at the Met, so now is your chance. I know it's not exactly what you meant, but it's better than nothing."  
  
Chloe paused and looked at him nervously. "Well, what do you want me to sing?"  
  
Brady shrugged his shoulders. "Whatever you want. First thing off the top of your head."  
  
Chloe sighed and thought it over. "Okay, uhm... Tosca... right."  
  
Brady nodded and motioned for her to continue. Chloe closed her eyes for a moment, making sure she could remember the words. She took a deep breath and began to sing.  
  
"Vissi d'arte, vissi d'amore,  
non feci mai male ad anima viva!"  
  
Brady shook his head and looked at her. "Chloe... stop."  
  
Chloe looked at him with frustration and threw her hands up in the hair. "You're the one that told me to start, and now you want me to stop."  
  
"You are not ready to sing yet."  
  
Chloe crossed her arms and glared at him. "Oh, and I'm sure you'll tell me exactly when I AM ready to sing, right?"  
  
Brady sighed and walked towards, placing his hands on her elbows. "Chloe... don't be mad. Just hear me out."  
  
"Okay, I'm listening."  
  
Brady paused and stared into her deep blue eyes. "Tell me what this aria is about."  
  
Chloe rolled her eyes but continued, "Tosca is this famous singer, and in this aria she sings about love and music and..."  
  
"And...? What do 'love' and 'music' mean to Tosca?"  
  
"They're everything. They are the two main things in her life, the things that drive her basically."  
  
Brady nodded in understanding. "And how does that work out for her?"  
  
Chloe chuckled softly. "Not well, to say the least."  
  
"So, are you going to try to tell me that you DON'T identify with Tosca?"  
  
Chloe bit her lip nervously. "I... I guess I do."  
  
"You should. You say that music is the most important thing in your life, and Tosca would agree with you. You have loved and lost, and so has she. I'd say you have more in common than you'd think. Now, I want you to sing it again... but don't just sing the words and the notes. Those mean nothing to me. Sing the emotions. You know how she feels in this scene, because you feel it too. Close your eyes and don't think, Chloe. If you think too hard when you sing, you don't have time to get the emotions through. Use the pain you have felt in your own life in your song. Use the love, and the joy you find in music to become Tosca. Stop concentrating so much on the technical part, and use your heart."  
  
Chloe wrinkled her forehead and replied, "But..."  
  
Brady pointed a finger at her and shook his head. "Don't say it. I know, you want to tell me how you have a hard time expressing those kinds of feelings. Well, I believe you can do it, so you should believe it too. Do whatever you can, use whatever memories you have to, just make me believe that you are Tosca."  
  
Chloe sighed and nodded her head. "Okay... I'll try."  
  
Brady backed away and crossed his arms. "No, you won't. You'll do it."  
  
Chloe closed her eyes tightly and tried to step into the shoes of Floria Tosca. She realized that Brady was correct, she did have a lot in common with the character. Her brain suddenly became flooded with memories of the good times she had shared with her adopted parents before she lost them. Those soon gave way to thoughts of the love she shared with Phillip, and all the wonderful memories of their time together. She reveled in those for a moment, until her thoughts turned to Brady and how her feelings for him were growing stronger day by day. Her passion to find love in her life, and her passion to be a singer was what drove her, just like it drove Tosca. She took a deep breath and spontaneously began to sing.  
  
"Vissi d'arte, vissi d'amore,  
non feci mai male ad anima viva!  
Con man furtiva  
quante miserie conobbi aiutai."  
  
Chloe felt suddenly changed when she sang. She knew that this was coming from her heart and her soul this time. Instead of focusing on making sure every note was perfect, she focused on what the words meant, and let them flow freely from her.  
  
"Sempre con fè sincera  
la mia preghiera  
ai santi tabernacoli salì.  
Sempre con fè sincera  
diedi fiori agl'altar.  
Nell'ora del dolore  
perchè, perchè, Signore,  
perchè me ne rimuneri così?  
Diedi gioielli della Madonna al manto,  
e diedi il canto agli astri, al ciel,  
che ne ridean più belli.  
Nell'ora del dolor  
perchè, perchè, Signor,  
ah, perchè me ne rimuneri così?"  
  
There was a silent pause and Chloe opened her eyes. One tear fell out of each eye and she took a deep breath in as she looked at Brady. Brady had a look on his face that she had never seen before. He uncrossed his arms and walked towards her pulling her into a warm embrace.  
  
"Oh Brady, was it awful or something?"  
  
"Do you really have to ask? You felt it, didn't you? Chloe... that was amazing."  
  
Chloe breathed a sigh of relief and rested her head on his shoulder.  
  
"I did feel it. It was like releasing something, almost."  
  
Brady nodded in agreement. "Exactly. You can release a lot of things through music, if you just open yourself up to it. It's like free therapy, no appointments and you don't have to lay on the couch."  
  
Chloe lifted her head and smiled. "Was it really okay?"  
  
Brady smiled back at her. "Better than okay. In fact, I think you may have a bright future ahead of you. You just have to stick with me, kid."  
  
Chloe chuckled and kissed him gently. "I plan on it."  
  
"Good... because you never know when you're going to need me, so I think it's for the best if I'm just always around."  
  
Chloe nodded. "Oh goody, I've always wanted a Siamese twin."  
  
Brady laughed and clasped her hand. "Well, that's what I'm here for. To make childhood dreams and wishes come true."  
  
"That sounds like a pretty ambitious goal. How about you just make one wish come true tonight?"  
  
"And what's that?"  
  
"Dinner... I'm starving."  
  
Brady thought about it for a moment and began to lead her away. "That's almost too easy... I think I saw a place across the street. Let's go."  
  
Chloe stopped him from walking long enough to plant a quick kiss on his lips. She smiled at him briefly before he turned and began walking away. She wanted to be able to thank him for everything he had done for her tonight, but she couldn't find the words just yet.  
*** 


	20. A Short, Cuddly Chapter...

After a quick dinner at a cafe by Lincoln Center, Brady and Chloe went in search of a place to stay for the night. They found a hotel with vacancies just a block away from where Brady had left his van, so they returned to the van and parked it in the hotel's parking garage before heading to their room. Once they entered the room, Chloe immediately kicked off her shoes and threw herself on the bed with a groan.  
  
"Only one bed again..."  
  
Brady threw the suitcase aside and joined her on the bed. "That's the price we pay for spontaneity, remember?"  
  
"Well, I don't mind... just don't drool on me again tonight."  
  
Brady looked at her in shock. "I do NOT drool."  
  
Chloe rolled her eyes. "Yeah, right. Tell that to the poor drenched pillows you leave in your wake."  
  
"Maybe you should tie your hair up at night, Chloe."  
  
"And why is that?" she asked.  
  
"Because every time you move in the middle of the night, I end up with a lock of brown hair in my eyes, or nose or mouth."  
  
Chloe pouted slightly. "Fine then... if you try not to drool, I'll leave my hair out of your face."  
  
"Then it's a deal."  
  
Chloe sat up and smiled briefly. "I think I'm gonna go take a nice long bath. My feet are aching..."  
  
Brady grinned, as she looked downward at him. "Well, if you need any help... you know, scrubbing those hard to reach spots, I'll be out here."  
  
Chloe laughed and bent over to quickly kiss him. "Well, thanks for the offer, but I've been bathing myself for about 17 years now... I think I can handle it alone."  
  
Brady shrugged and winked at her, "Well, you never know... sometimes people forget how to do even the simplest of things."  
  
Chloe stood and walked towards the bathroom. She stopped and grabbed a pair of shorts and a tank top out of her suitcase.  
  
"Not gonna happen, Brady..." She muttered under her breath as she walked away.  
  
Chloe walked inside the bathroom and shut the door. Brady sat up and began to take off his shoes when he he heard Chloe gasp loudly, and yell, "OH MY GOD!" through the bathroom wall. He jumped up immediately and ran towards the bathroom. Brady threw the door open to see a smiling Chloe holding a bottle of something in her hand.  
  
"Look... they have bubble bath. None of the other hotels had bubble bath stuff."  
  
Brady groaned in frustration. "You mean I jumped up from the bed because you were excited over bubble bath? Geez... I thought that there was a dead body hanging from the towel rack or something the way you were screaming over it."  
  
Chloe cringed in embarrassment. "I'm sorry... I didn't mean to scare you. It's just, sometimes the simple things in life make you feel complete and utter joy."  
  
Brady twirled his finger in the air and spoke in a monotone voice, "Yippee... Whoooo... I'm excited too."  
  
Chloe smiled at him and kissed him again. "I said I'm sorry... Don't be mad. Be happy."  
  
He looked at her for a moment, and realized that he couldn't be angry with her, not right now. She was far too beautiful at this very moment. He relented and replied with a smile of his own.   
  
"Okay, okay... enjoy your bath then."  
  
Chloe nodded at him, and he left the bathroom. She closed the door behind again and began running the hot water in the tub. She poured some of the bubble bath mixture in the water, and quickly undressed. Chloe grabbed a rubber band out of her jeans pocket and pulled her hair up and off of her back. She waited until the tub was almost full and stepped into it. The water and the bubbles came up to her neck as she laid down in the tub until she was completely covered. She put her head against the wall behind her and closed her eyes.  
  
Chloe had spent so much time over this week thinking about her life, and dealing with her past and her emotions that she tried to lie there and rid herself of all thoughts. She made her mind blank and just enjoyed the feel of the warm water around her.  
  
It seemed like she spent an eternity in there, but as soon as the water started to get cold, she got out and dried off as she let the water drain out of the tub. She quickly put her shorts and tank top on and walked back into the bedroom. Brady was on the bed busying his self by reading a magazine. He looked up from his reading and gave her a slight smile.  
  
"Oh good. I thought maybe you had drowned. I was just getting ready to get up and check on you."  
  
Chloe shivered slightly at the cold air coming from the air conditioning unit. "Aahhhh... It's freezing. I should have dried off better."  
  
Brady threw his magazine aside and patted the spot on the bed beside him. "Well, I have blankets. Come join me."  
  
She paused for a moment and shivered again, deciding to take Brady up on his offer. She pulled the covers down and got underneath them, and Brady joined her underneath the covers.   
  
Brady glanced at her and grinned. "See... much better, right?"  
  
Chloe nodded and snuggled up to him. "Much... much... much better."  
  
Brady ran one hand down her bare arm and could still feel the slight dampness on her skin. "Chloe... does it feel like you and I have been a couple for less than a month?"  
  
Chloe shook her head. "No... it feels like much longer, doesn't it?"  
  
"In a way, it has been."  
  
Chloe looked up at him and raised her eyebrows. "And, how do you figure that, Brady? Because we kissed each other over a month before we decided to make it official?"  
  
"No, not exactly. I mean... that's part of it. But, I mean much longer than that. We've always had a connection, Chloe. Since the day we met each other we've been connected. Neither of us may have realized or expected it to turn out like this, but deep down it was always there. When I met you, I felt like I had known you for years already."  
  
Chloe sighed softly. "Me too..."  
  
Brady looked her in the eyes with complete seriousness on his face "Chloe, you know how I feel about you, right?"  
  
"I think so..."  
  
Brady brushed the side of her face with his hand. "I would never hurt you. Never. And, I would never make you do something you weren't willing to do."  
  
Chloe nodded. "I know, Brady. I know that. What is this leading up to?"  
  
Brady sighed and smiled at her. "I just want to make sure that you know. I mean, when I joke about sex stuff, it's not because I want it... it's just a guy thing to joke about it. That's a bad explanation, I know. I'm just trying to say that I know we're not ready for it, and I would never want you think that I expect anything from you. Okay?"  
  
Chloe suppressed the urge to laugh at his nervous behavior. "Don't worry, Brady... I know that. Besides, I would never LET you force me into something I don't want to do."  
  
Brady nodded in agreement. "Well, okay then... we're all squared away."  
  
"I guess that was our 'sex talk' then. You know, all couples have them at some point. And, I think ours went pretty well."  
  
Brady laughed at the absurdity of the situation and replied, "I guess so. Glad to get that over with... So, do you want to go home tomorrow? Or should we stay?"  
  
"Ahhh... a tough decision. I love New York, and I'm really glad we came... but, I think it's time to face the music in Salem. I have to get it over with, so we can all move on."  
  
Brady nodded and kissed her on the forehead. "Alright then, after a hearty New York City breakfast we'll get on the road."  
  
Chloe sighed sadly. "I wish we could stay longer, but I know I have to go home."  
  
"Well, we'll just have to come back then."  
  
Chloe's face lit up at the thought. "Promise?"  
  
"Absolutely."  
  
Brady reached over and turned the light off. Chloe snuggled closer to him and whispered, "Brady..."  
  
"Yes..."  
  
Chloe paused wondering if this was the right time to tell him those three small words. But, she realized they weren't small at all. They were three very big words, and she felt a knot twist in her stomach when she thought about it. She took a deep breath in, but instead of speaking she moved her head up and kissed Brady deeply. He reciprocated with great intensity until they broke off for air.  
  
"Good night, Brady..."  
  
"Good night..."  
  
She closed her eyes as she laid her head on his chest and heard his heart beating. She knew the words would come eventually. Chloe was finally coming to terms with all these factors in her life, and she would soon feel free enough to pledge her love to someone. She only hoped that Brady felt the same.  
*** 


	21. Sparks Fly! (But not the good kind.)

(Day Seven... On the Road Again...)  
  
After a quick breakfast, Brady and Chloe were on the road home by nine in the morning. Chloe spent most of the ride reading the diary entries that she had skipped over previously, as Brady concentrated on the road in front of him. About 400 miles down the road, Brady though he heard a rattling beneath the van.  
  
"Chloe... do you hear that noise?"  
  
Chloe lifted her head from the diary and turned down the radio so she could listen closer. She paused for a moment and tilted her head slightly. "Yeah, I hear it... But I can't tell if this is just a bad road or if it's the van."  
  
"Well, I had the entire van checked out before we left, and the mechanic said everything was perfect."  
  
Chloe looked at him and raised her eyebrows. "And you believe a mechanic? Not exactly the model for truth and reliability in this day and age..."  
  
Brady shrugged it off. "Well, I trust this guy. He hasn't screwed up my father's car or mine yet. Must be the road, right?"  
  
"Sure... I guess. You should still check it the next time we stop."  
  
"I will. Don't worry about it."  
  
Chloe smiled and snapped the diary shut with a sigh. "Brady... do you think that I'm anything like my mother?"  
  
"I don't think I really know your mother well enough to say, but... maybe a little. Probably more than you realize."  
  
"Oh no..."  
  
"Hey, hey, hey... it's nothing bad. I'm just saying, that's part of the reason that you two don't get along, right? You're both stubborn and hard headed. I can see that for sure. Nobody ever wants to hear that they are just like their parents, but almost everyone is."  
  
Chloe nodded and replied, "Yeah, I guess so. I mean, you're definitely a lot like your dad, aren't you?"  
  
"Oh yeah, I don't think I'm a 100 percent like my father, but we do have the same temperament and all."  
  
"And Belle is a lot like her mom. And, you'd probably hate to admit it, but all these years of Marlena as your step-mom has rubbed off on you too."  
  
Brady briefly turned to give her a look of skepticism, "And how in the world would you come to THAT conclusion?"  
  
"I'm just saying. Marlena is a psychiatrist, so she's good at talking to people and helping them solve their problems. Belle is good at that too, she's a good listener and is always willing to help. And, so are you... at least you are to me anyway."  
  
Brady grinned and nodded, "Well, that's only for you. For everyone else I prefer to be closed-off and generally aloof."  
  
Chloe laughed and shook her head, "Well, I doubt that you're being entirely truthful about that, but I'll give you two points for using the word aloof in a sentence. Plus, I like to pretend that I'm just more special than everyone else."  
  
Brady reached his right hand over and gently patted her knee before returning his hand to the steering wheel. "You ARE special. Very special."  
  
"Which is a nice way of saying... 'Chloe, you're weird.' Isn't it?"  
  
"No, not at all... It's just my cowardly way of not saying what I really want to say."  
  
Chloe paused for a moment as she considered what his last statement meant, "And what is it you really want to say, Brady?"  
  
"If I could just open my mouth and say it, then we wouldn't be having this conversation."  
  
Chloe wrinkled her forehead and stared at him. "Uhmmmm, okay... is there any way you could be a bit more vague?"  
  
"Possibly..."  
  
Chloe was just about to reach over and give him a playful nudge when she felt the front of the van bottom out. She heard the awful shrieking noise of metal grinding on the pavement. Brady threw an arm in front of her for protection and Chloe instinctively reached her right arm out towards the dashboard and screamed at him, "BRADY!!! WATCH OUT!!!"  
  
The van scraped along the side of the metal guardrail making sparks fly everywhere as Brady tried to bring the van to a stop. He had lost use of his front brakes and had to wait for the van to lose momentum before it finally came to a halt. Brady turned off the engine immediately, and unbuckled his seatbelt turning to face Chloe. Her eyes were shut and he took a deep breath in as he gently stroked her face.  
  
"Chloe... are you okay?"  
  
Her eyes suddenly snapped open and she nodded, "Yeah, I think so."  
  
Brady breathed a quick sigh of relief, "Oh thank God, I thought you were unconscious."  
  
"No, just scared enough to shut my eyes. What happened? Are you okay?"  
  
"Yeah, I'm fine. I don't know what happened, I just lost my brakes or something."  
  
"But, you still know how to throw the mommy-arm in case of emergency."  
  
"The what?"  
  
Chloe laughed quietly. "The mommy-arm. It's whenever you're in an accident or almost in one, and the driver throws their arm across the passenger to protect them. You know, like your dad or Marlena would do for you and Belle when you were kids, probably. It's the patented mommy-arm."  
  
"Oh, well, I've never heard it called that before, but I guess you're right."  
  
Brady opened his door carefully and stepped outside the van. Chloe looked briefly at her door and turned back towards him.  
  
"Guess I'm gonna have to get out on your side. I'm a little blocked by a van resting against the rail over here."  
  
Brady nodded and reached out a hand to help her out of the driver's side of the van. She made her way over and grabbed his hand with her left. She placed her right hand on the dashboard for a little leverage but suddenly gasped and quickly moved it away. She winced in pain and leaned against driver's seat for support.  
  
"What happened?"  
  
Chloe shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know... my wrist..."  
  
Brady helped her the rest of the way out of the van, and gently lifted her right wrist closer to him. He quietly inspected it, and cringed at the swollen tissue that was already turning black and blue.   
  
"This isn't looking too good, Chloe..."  
  
Chloe sighed deeply. "Well, it doesn't feel very good either. I must have hit it on the dashboard pretty hard. I didn't even notice."  
  
Brady nodded. "Sometimes you don't notice these things right away. Do you think you can bend it?"  
  
Chloe's face wrinkled up at the notion. "Do I have to try?"  
  
"Yes, please... I know it hurts, but we have to see if it's broken or not."  
  
Chloe sighed and slowly bent her wrist until the pain became too much to handle. She suppressed her instinct to scream and cry, but moaned in pain as she leaned against the van. Brady half-embraced her with his other arm, as he gently held her injured wrist in his hand.  
  
"If you can bend it, it's probably not broken, so that's the good news."  
  
"And the bad news?"  
  
"We're stuck on the side of the road with a van that doesn't work, and you need to go to the hospital to have your wrist checked out."  
  
"What happened to the van anyway?"  
  
Brady looked around to the front tires and looked back at Chloe. "Looks like the tires and wheels, everything just came right off the front. That's pretty... strange. But, it explains why I had no brakes."  
  
Chloe nodded in understanding. "And it explains that weird noise we've been hearing. Guess your mechanic forgot to check that part of the van, eh?"  
  
Brady chuckled softly. "Guess I'll be looking for a new mechanic soon. Do you think you can stay here by yourself for like an hour?"  
  
"I... I guess so. I mean, it's daylight, so I doubt anybody is going to try to dismember me anytime soon."  
  
"Hmm. You must have never seen The Texas Chainsaw Massacre."  
  
Chloe looked at him with wide-eyed shock. "No, and I don't think I want to now."  
  
Brady laughed and kissed her on the forehead. "Don't worry, you'll be fine. The sign up there says there's a gas station about 3 miles up the road. I'm sure you'll be safe here, just roll down the windows or use the key to turn the air on if you get too hot."  
  
"And my wrist?"  
  
Brady paused and breathed inward as he tried to think. "We're going to have to get you back in the van, can't go through the other side, so it's back through the driver's door."  
  
Chloe sighed and stepped towards the driver's side of the van. Brady helped her up and she sat in the passenger's seat as Brady went towards the backseat.  
  
"Stay right there, Chloe."  
  
Chloe heard him rustling around in the luggage for a few minutes until he called her into the backseat. She stood from her seat and moved towards where he sat. He had laid down the backseat so that it folded out flat like a small bed. Brady had also taken some blankets he kept in the van, and set them up for her to lay on or to use as pillows. He smiled at her and patted the empty spot next to him.  
  
"A place for you to stay comfy while I'm gone."  
  
She smiled at him and sat on the seat. He gently placed her sore wrist on top of a pile of folded up clothes he had found in the luggage. Next, Brady placed something cold wrapped in one of his t-shirts on her wrist.  
  
Chloe raised her eyebrows in wonderment. "Wow... were you a boy scout or something?"  
  
Brady laughed. "No, I wasn't... just a quick thinker. I remembered I put some ice in our cooler before we left the hotel this morning. I'm just glad it hasn't melted yet."  
  
Chloe smiled appreciatively, "Me too... Thank you for all this."  
  
"Just wanted you to be comfortable. No need to thank me." Brady leaned forward and briefly kissed her on the lips. "I'm gonna go now, but I will be back as soon as I can get someone to drive me back here. I'll walk fast, so it shouldn't be more than an hour and half, maybe 2 hours. I promise."  
  
"I'll be fine... just hurry up."  
  
Brady smiled as he slid off the seat. "I will."  
  
She smiled as she watched him go. She tried to ignore the pain in her wrist, but as soon as she could no longer hear Brady's footsteps outside, she closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep.  
  
***  
  
(About an hour and a half later... or so.)  
  
Chloe yawned as her eyes fluttered open. The makeshift ice pack had melted and the t-shirt it was wrapped in was now completely soaked. Chloe shifted in her seat and moved the ice pack away. The cold had kept her wrist from becoming twice as swollen as it already was, and Chloe noticed the dark bruises around her wrist and on her hand. She groaned in pain as she tried once more to bend her wrist.  
  
"Aaaaaghhhhh... not getting any better, that's for sure." Chloe sighed and leaned her head against the wall again, and shut her eyes for a moment. All of a sudden she heard the sound of a car pull up on the gravel behind the van. She opened her eyes as she heard footsteps come around the side of the van.  
  
"BRADY!" she yelled out. "Brady!! Is that you?"  
  
The driver's door opened up and she saw Brady crawl into the van and peer around the corner at her.   
  
"Hey you... how ya holding up?"  
  
"If you cut my wrist off, I'll be doing pretty good."  
  
Brady moved into the backseat and glanced at her wrist. "Don't worry. You've got a ride to the nearest hospital, right now."  
  
Chloe looked surprised. "I do? How did you manage that?"  
  
"Well, the guy who owns the gas station up there owns a tow truck too, so he's going to tow the van into a mechanical shop in town, which is only about 20 miles away. And, his wife is going to drive you to the hospital."  
  
"That's awfully nice of them, being complete strangers and all."  
  
Brady shrugged it off. "I just have a way with words, I guess. Now, come on..."  
  
Brady grabbed her good hand and helped her out of the van. She was greeted by a smiling woman in her fifties with graying brown hair.  
  
"Hi, you must be Chloe. My name is Kay, my husband Mike is on his way with the tow truck."  
  
Chloe smiled politely at her. "Thank you, I'd shake your hand, but I have one less available hand than normal right now."  
  
"Well then, we'll just have to take care of that. Follow me and I'll get you to a doctor." Kay smiled and led Chloe towards her gray Toyota.   
  
Brady gently squeezed Chloe's good hand, and smiled at her. "I'm going to wait here until Mike gets here with the truck, and then I'll be right behind you, okay?"  
  
"Yeah, I'll be fine." Chloe smiled at him as she got into Kay's car, and watched him standing there as they drove away. She sighed softly and sunk into her seat further.  
  
"So, Chloe... where are you two kids from?"  
  
"Salem, Illinois."  
  
"Sounds like you're awfully far away from home then."  
  
Chloe nodded and sighed. "Yeah... too far."  
  
"Is this some kind of summer vacation then?"  
  
Chloe shrugged slightly. "Something like that... we were on our way home from New York City when all of this happened."  
  
"Sounds like a lot of fun, up until now anyway."  
  
"Part of it was fun..."  
  
"And the rest is none of my business, I'm sorry dear, I don't mean to pry. I was just trying to make small talk."  
  
Chloe shook her head. "No, it's okay. Don't be sorry. It's just... well, this isn't really a vacation. I left home to go look for my biological father. It's a REALLY long story."  
  
"Oh... By the way you say it, it doesn't sound like you met with great success."  
  
"I found what I was looking for. And now I just want to go home."  
  
"Well, I'm sure between my husband and your friend Brady, they'll have that van ready to go in no time."  
  
Chloe sighed again and nodded in agreement. "I hope so. Either way, thanks for helping us out. Most people aren't willing to help out strangers, so I really appreciate this."  
  
"You're welcome. When Mike called me and asked me to come out here, he said he had met a young man so distraught over leaving an injured young lady alone that he knew we had to help you out. And when I got to the station, that poor boy was still frantic."  
  
Chloe looked somewhat surprised. "Really? He's always so calm around me."  
  
Kay chuckled knowingly. "Then it's a tell-tale sign. That boy is in love with you, dear."  
  
"What makes you think that?"  
  
"I've been married for 28 years, and my Mike is just like that. He wants to stay strong in front of you when you're hurt, but away from you he's a nervous wreck."   
  
"And you think that means he loves me?"  
  
"Not just that. I saw the way he looked at you when you got into the car. Mark my words, he is head over heels for you, he's just too macho to admit it. Just call it a product of being older and wiser."  
  
Chloe half-smiled. "Well, maybe..."  
  
"But do you love him?"  
  
Chloe paused and sighed. "I do... I really do. But, I can't tell him that."  
  
Kay smiled widely. "Of course you can, and you will. Just give it time. If the feelings are there, then you just have to wait for the time to be right. It'll come out when you least expect it."  
  
"I don't know about that, I don't have the easiest time expressing myself."  
  
Kay shook her head in disagreement. "Well, I'm going to stay out of your business, but believe me, it will happen. If you truly love him, then you won't be able to hold that in forever. Same goes for him."  
  
Chloe nodded and smiled as she glanced out the window. "You may be right..."  
  
***  
  
(Later... at the hospital.)  
  
Chloe stepped through the doors and into the waiting room. She saw Brady sitting with Kay in the corner, and he stood up from the chair as soon as he saw her come out. She walked towards him and he briefly kissed her on the lips.  
  
"So, what's the verdict?"  
  
She lifted her arm to show him the dark blue brace they had put over her wrist and hand. "Slight fracture, big ugly black bruise, and pills for the pain. That's the short version."  
  
"A fracture? It's broken?"  
  
Chloe shrugged slightly. "Not exactly. It's one of those happy fractures where it immediately sets itself back into place, so that's the good news. I don't have to wear a real cast, as long as I wear this and don't let it move. I lucked out really. The doctor said it's going to hurt for awhile, but it could've been a lot worse."  
  
Brady smiled widely at her. "Good news then."  
  
Chloe nodded in agreement. "And what about you? How's the van?"  
  
"Not good. It's got a lot of damage from sliding across the road like that. Frame damage, and things like that. No brakes either. I think I'm just going to leave it here and buy a new car when we get home."  
  
Chloe raised her eyebrows skeptically. "And we're just going to walk the 500 miles home to Salem? I mean, I've got pain pills, but I don't think that will help me walk faster."  
  
Brady shook his head. "No, we're going to fly home. I already got us a flight that leaves tomorrow, and a hotel to stay in tonight."  
  
"Wow... I'm impressed. But, aren't you going to miss your van?"  
  
Brady nodded with remorse. "A little bit, but sometimes you just gotta move on. Besides, I know you'd rather get home as soon as possible instead of waiting around here for repairs."  
  
"Yeah, definitely. It's been an extremely long week, and as scared as I am of facing the music with my mother... I'm ready to be back in more familiar surroundings."  
  
"Me too."  
  
Chloe turned to Kay who had stood up from her chair as well. "Kay, thank you so much for everything. I really appreciate it. And thank you for waiting here all this time."  
  
"It's my pleasure. I just hope that things work out for the both of you. Besides, I had to wait... I'm your ride to the hotel." Kay smiled and motioned towards the parking lot.  
  
Brady nodded in agreement with Chloe. "Really, thank you. I've already told Mike thanks for all his help, but thank you for taking care of Chloe for me. She means a lot to me."  
  
Kay nodded knowingly. "I know. I can tell. Anyway, Mike is going to pick you both up in the morning and take you to the airport, alright?"  
  
Chloe smiled at her and winked. "Thank you... for everything." And when Chloe smiled, Kay knew that she wasn't just thanking her for the ride, she was thanking her for the advice that she had dispensed earlier in the day.  
  
"You're welcome, dear." Kay picked her purse up from the chair and the group filed out to the parking lot. They got into Kay's car together and headed over to the hotel.  
*** 


	22. Welcome Home...

(Day Eight)  
  
Brady and Chloe's flight had touched down at the Salem airport around 11 in the morning. They loaded their luggage into a cab outside and drove off towards the Wesley house. The cab pulled up into the driveway, and Brady got out to help carry Chloe's suitcase up the porch steps. They stood in front of the door and faced each other.  
  
Brady clasped her uninjured hand and gave her a weak smile. "Here we are... you sure you don't want me to go in with you?"  
  
Chloe nodded and smiled at him. "Yeah, I'm sure. I need to do this alone, but thank you anyway."  
  
"It's been a long week, hasn't it?"  
  
Chloe chuckled softly. "The longest ever."  
  
Brady pulled her into his arms and embraced her tightly. "Please call me as soon as you get 'the talk' over with, okay?"  
  
Chloe looked into his eyes and nodded. "Of course, as soon as I can... I promise."  
  
Brady smiled at her and the two of them stayed there in silence looking into each other's eyes. He gently brushed her face with his hand, and tried to speak. "Chloe... I..."  
  
"What?"  
  
"I..."   
  
Brady paused again and instead of finishing his sentence he leaned in and kissed her deeply. They broke off at the same time and Chloe sighed. "I'll talk to you soon, Brady."  
  
Brady nodded and kissed her on the forehead quickly before walking away from her. She watched him go, and when the cab was out of sight, she turned towards the door and took a deep breath in. Once she felt that she had the courage needed, she turned the knob and walked inside, throwing her suitcase aside and closing the door behind her. She quietly stepped into the living room and looked around for signs of life, but the house looked empty.  
  
Chloe tentatively called out to the seemingly empty house, "NANCY! ARE YOU HOME?"  
  
She heard footsteps coming from the kitchen, and Nancy stepped out with a look of complete shock on her face.  
  
"Chloe? What are you doing home from Puerto Rico? What happened to your wrist? Are you okay?"  
  
Chloe motioned for her to stop with her hand. "Nancy, please, slow down. I will explain everything, I promise. But, for that to happen... I need Craig to be here, and I need you both to sit down."  
  
Nancy stared at Chloe with her eyebrows furrowed for a moment, and turned back towards the kitchen. "Craig! Please come out here, you're not going to believe this."  
  
Craig stepped out of the kitchen and looked at Chloe in surprise. "Chloe. You're supposed to be in Puerto Rico. What the hell is going on?"  
  
Chloe sighed and bit her lip nervously. "Please, just come over here and sit down, and I'll explain everything. I swear."  
  
Nancy and Craig looked at each other for a moment, before looking back at Chloe. She gave them a pleading look, and they took spots next to each other on the couch as Chloe sat in a chair next across from them. Chloe closed her eyes for a moment, and took a deep breath before speaking.  
  
"Okay... when you hear what I am about to say, neither of you are going to be happy. In fact, you'll both be very upset with me. And, I'm okay with that. I have lied to you, and I deserve to be punished for it. I am willing to accept your anger and do whatever you want to make it up to you. I am so sorry for what I have done. I regret lying to you both, but I don't regret the reasons behind it. Alright?"  
  
Nancy nodded silently, but Craig replied, "Okay, tell us what you have to tell us then."  
  
Chloe nodded and paused nervously. "I didn't go to Puerto Rico. I was planning on it, but... something more important came up."  
  
Nancy looked at her in disbelief. "Something so important that you had to lie to us?"  
  
"Yes, definitely. Nancy, if I had told you what I was really going to do, you would have locked me in my room for the next 10 years. I left here, because I got a lead... on my biological father."  
  
Chloe thought she saw a mix of fear and anger filling Nancy's eyes as the last two words escaped her mouth. Chloe continued speaking before Nancy could interrupt, "I lied to you, and I'm sorry. But, I went to Boston where I was born. And then... I went to Newport. And, my wrist isn't important; it's going to be fine. I'm going to be fine."  
  
"Chloe, you are 17 years old. You can't just go running all over the country like that by yourself. How did you afford to do that anyway?"  
  
Chloe cringed slightly, "I didn't do it alone."  
  
"Oh. Let me guess... Brady Black went with you?"  
  
Chloe nodded silently as Nancy continued, "Well, that figures. He is 19 years old, Chloe, and we could have him arrested for taking a minor across the state line. Did you ever think of that?"   
  
"Yes, of course we did. But, I couldn't do it by myself. And, you should thank Brady. He protected me when I needed it. And he took care of me."  
  
Nancy shook her head angrily, "Right, I should thank him. I assume he paid for this little adventure too. And what did you need protection from? You're grown up enough to lie to us, then you're grown enough up to take care of yourself, aren't you?"  
  
"No, Nancy... You don't understand. Brady was there for me, without conditions, and without questioning me or making me feel even worse than I already felt. I needed him, and he was there. And if you're worried about something 'naughty' happening between us, you have nothing to worry about. Nothing happened. He's a gentleman, and I'm a lot smarter than that anyway."  
  
Nancy was too angry to speak, and Craig seemed to be in a permanent state of silent shock.   
  
Chloe sighed softly and continued, "I'm sorry. I am very sorry. I don't know how many times I'll have to say it, but I'll keep saying it until everything is okay. But... stay here. I have something to show you."  
  
Chloe stood up and grabbed her backpack from the hallway as quickly as possible. She sat back down and pulled Nancy's diaries from inside and handed them to her.  
  
"I think these belong to you..."  
  
Nancy looked up at her. "Chloe... why did you do this? Where did you find these?"  
  
"I had to, Nancy. You gave me no other choice. You wouldn't tell me anything, and I needed to find out for myself. I got sick of the lies and the secrets. I had to travel a lot, and meet a lot of people to get my answers, but I'm glad I did. I met the woman who was there when I was born, and I saw the house you grew up in, and I know everything I need to know now. I know EVERYTHING."  
  
Nancy shook her head in confusion. "You're GLAD? If you know everything, I wouldn't expect you to be too happy about it."  
  
"Yes, I am. You have kept these secrets way too long. It's time to come clean. You should have told Craig a long time ago. I know that you did what you thought was right, but I think you need to end all of this now. Tell him, Nancy. It's better if he hears it from you, not from me."  
  
Nancy shook her head and raised her voice, "Chloe. I can't believe you!"  
  
"I'm sorry. I really really am. But, the truth always comes out, no matter how hard you try to hide it. You HAVE to tell him. He has a right to know."  
  
Craig interrupted loudly, "Well, I wish somebody would tell me SOMETHING. I'm a little lost here." He turned to Nancy and looked into her eyes, "Nancy, honey, please... whatever the truth is, I will still love you. You can tell me now. I think Chloe is right, I'm sick of the secrets too."  
  
Nancy sighed and looked downward for a moment, before looking back at Craig. "Alright... fine. I... I don't even know how to put this into words. You'd think after 17 years of holding it in, I'd be able to say it but, apparently not."  
  
Nancy paused to nervously wet her dry lips, and continued, "Craig... Chloe's father raped me. It wasn't consensual at all, not even in the slightest. I never told you, because I knew it would hurt you and your family to find out the truth. When you went away to school, your stepfather was trying to get closer to me and I was too afraid to tell you. I tried to tell my father, but he didn't care, it didn't matter. And, when you came back for Thanksgiving that year... Remember the night we went sailing on your family's boat? Just you and me?"  
  
Craig smiled at the memory and nodded, as Nancy wiped the tears off of her face. "I came home that night, and my father was asleep. So, I went upstairs to my room. He was there waiting for me. I tried to stop it, but I couldn't... he was too strong. And, I... I was so scared."  
  
Nancy broke into sobs and Craig pulled her into his arms and reassuringly stroked her hair. "Why didn't you tell me?"  
  
"Because, it would have destroyed your family... and I couldn't do that to you or your mother. Besides, I tried to, but my father wouldn't let me tell anyone. Not even you."  
  
"But, you could have told me even now or through all these years that we've been together, but you never did. Why did it have to take Chloe finding this out for you to tell me?"  
  
"I don't know. It just seemed like the natural progression of things. You tell one lie and once you let it go this long, you almost forget what the truth really is. I'm sorry, Craig. I never meant for it to end up this way. I've wanted to tell you so many times, but I didn't know how you would feel. I just can't lose you, and that's what I was afraid of.  
  
Craig pulled away from her and nodded in understanding. "It's okay, Nancy. How can I be mad at you? You were young and naive then, and you had pressure on you from every side. I can't be mad at you for something that you did 17 years ago. The pain that you have been going through keeping this inside is much worse than anything I could do to hurt you."  
  
"You don't hate me?"  
  
"No, of course not. I wish you had told me all those years ago, but I couldn't hate you. In a million years, and no matter what you do, I would never hate you. I love you too much to EVER hate you."  
  
Nancy smiled weakly and nodded. "I wish I had told you too. I wish I could change everything."  
  
Chloe interrupted, "Everything?"  
  
"No, not everything. I don't regret having you. I do love you, Chloe. Maybe you don't believe that, but..."  
  
"No, I believe you. And... I love you too, Nancy."  
  
Nancy gave her a surprised look. "What? Is this some kind of a dream?"  
  
Chloe smiled and shook her head, "Believe it or not, but that's how I really feel. A lot of things have changed now that I know the truth. Now I know for sure that you didn't just take me into your home to relieve your guilt, you did it because you love me. It's all in the diaries, Nancy... and the letter. Thank you for the letter."  
  
Nancy sighed and wiped another tear off of her face. "You found my letter?"  
  
"Yes, I did. And, I hope that as mad at me as you might be right now, that our relationship can change for the better. I love you, and I'm ready to get to know you. And, I forgive you for everything... You need to forgive yourself too. You did what you had to do, and I don't want to hate you anymore. I need my mother."  
  
Nancy rose from the couch to embrace her daughter. "I need you too, Chloe. I am so sorry for everything I've done. I have never stopped loving you, and I never wanted to lie to you, I just wanted to protect you. I didn't want you to know what a horrible person your father was."  
  
Chloe nodded as Nancy sat back down on the couch. "I know... and it's okay. I'm really glad that I know the truth. I needed closure. I think you do too."  
  
Nancy looked at her curiously, "Closure?"  
  
"Yeah... I learned a lot about myself this week, and I'm starting to learn why I am the way I am. But, I also learned some other things. That none of this really matters."  
  
Craig gave her a confused glance, "Nothing matters? What are you talking about?"  
  
"Okay... one good example. It doesn't matter to me anymore where I came from, or how I was conceived, or whose DNA I have in my body. I have spent all of my life looking for my mother and my father. I went 1100 miles away to find my father. But, once I found him, I didn't care anymore. That man was not my father... I may share his DNA or his blood type, but he's not my father. A father is someone who loves you, and I drove all the way to Newport to find out that my father is right here in Salem. Craig, you are my father. You are the one who loves me like a father does, and I love you too. I don't need Sam Lennox, because I have you."  
  
Chloe stood from her chair and joined her parents on the couch, hugging Craig tightly. He spoke to her softly, "I'm so glad you said that. I used to say that I never wanted children, but since you came here... I regret ever saying that. I think you are an amazing person, Chloe, and I am so glad that I can call you my daughter. And all of a sudden, you seem so grown up now. When did that happen?"  
  
Chloe smiled at him. "About three days ago... But, I'm not completely grown up yet. That's why I still need my parents."  
  
Nancy interjected, "I'm really surprised at you, Chloe. I thought after all the fighting we've done, that you'd only hate me more after you found out the truth."  
  
Chloe shook her head vehemently, "No, I don't. I couldn't do that. I learned what is true in my life while I was gone. Things that I never noticed before. Love, real love, is always true, isn't it? I mean, look at the two of you. It doesn't matter that Nancy lied to you, Craig. You still love her."  
  
Craig nodded, "Always."  
  
"And, it wouldn't matter to you, Nancy, if the situation was reversed. You love Craig, and you always will. It doesn't matter that I get mad at you, or you get mad at me, because at the end of the day we still love each other. That's what I learned. Once you truly love someone, you never stop."  
  
Nancy sighed and looked at Chloe curiously. "I don't even know what to say, Chloe..."  
  
"You don't have to say anything. I just want us to be a family now. I can't promise everything will be perfect from now on, but I hope things can be better. No more lies, that's all I want."  
  
Nancy nodded in agreement. "I promise we'll work on it, I promise. You know, you seem like a different daughter than the one I had last week."  
  
"I am different. It's been a really... interesting week."  
  
"Chloe, I am mad at you. You lied to Craig and me, and you ran away from home basically. But... what you did was important, and probably the right thing to do. I'm sorry for letting it come to this, I should have told you the truth. And, as mad as I may be... I'm proud of you."  
  
Chloe smiled widely at her mother, "You are?"  
  
"Of course I am. You are such a strong, intelligent young woman, Chloe... and I've always been proud of you. I know that I had nothing to do with how well you've turned out, but that doesn't mean I'm not proud."  
  
"Thank you, Nancy..." Chloe paused and a sly smile crept across her face. "Does that mean that I'm not in trouble?"  
  
Craig interjected before Nancy had a chance to speak up, "Oh no no no, Miss Chloe. I can't speak for your mother, but this little stunt you pulled will not happen again. You can be sure of that."  
  
Nancy nodded in agreement. "That's right. You said you would take whatever punishment we wanted to give you."  
  
Chloe cringed and looked at her parents hopefully. "And how harsh is it going to be?"  
  
Craig and Nancy looked at each other and shrugged simultaneously. Nancy replied, "I don't know. You're going to have to give us a little time to think up something REALLY good."  
  
Chloe frowned slightly, "Well, I deserve it. I know. So... I'm guessing I should just 'go to my room' until the verdict is in."  
  
Craig and Nancy nodded in unison. Chloe smiled at them and hugged them both tightly before heading out of the living room. She grabbed her suitcase with her left hand and dragged it upstairs to her room. She was glad to be back in the comfort of her home, but she just hoped that Nancy and Craig would let her out of the house long enough to give Brady a proper thank you for everything he had done for her.  
***  
(First off, this chapter came out way shorter than I planned. I just didn't feel like I had to drag all of us through the same emotional chit-chat that are in the previous 20 chapters. So, let's just say that Craig/Nancy/Chloe will have MANY MANY more of these talks to come. Secondly, I have to apologize. I was planning on finishing the story before I left on my vacation, but I'm not going to be able to. I have been way too busy. I apologize to everyone who has waited so patiently. I will finish it when I get home though. If you want me to e-mail you when I put the last chapter(s) up, just e-mail me at hopegrace24@yahoo.com Thanks for your patience, and thanks for reading and reviewing! I'll be back on the 27th, and I'll hopefully have the story posted on the 28th.)  



	23. Three Words

Chapter Twenty-Three  
  
Chloe finished unpacking her suitcase and threw herself on the bed with a sigh. She slowly edged up towards the pillow and made herself comfortable. Things with her parents had gone much better than expected, and she could finally breathe a sigh of relief. She reached over and grabbed the phone off of her nightstand and carefully dialed the number to the Black penthouse.  
  
She heard someone pick up after two rings, "Hello?"  
  
"Hi Mr. Black... is Brady there?"  
  
"Chloe? Brady is taking a shower. Do you want to leave a message?"  
  
Chloe paused thought about it, "Uhm... no, that's alright. I'll just call him later. Thanks a lot."  
  
"No problem. Bye."  
  
"Bye," Chloe heard a soft click on the phone and laid it back down on the receiver. She sat up and smoothed her hair with one hand. Looking around her bedroom, she realized how much she had missed seeing its familiar surroundings while she was gone.   
  
There was a soft knock at the door, and Chloe spoke up, "Come in..."  
  
Nancy tentatively opened the door and stepped inside. "You finished unpacking already?"  
  
Chloe smiled and nodded, "Yup. I figured I might as well get it over with."  
  
Nancy nodded and closed the door behind her. "Chloe... can I ask you something?"  
  
Chloe scooted over and motioned for Nancy to sit on the bed beside her. "Sure, go ahead."  
  
Nancy sat down and breathed in deeply. "Do you really care about Brady Black?"  
  
"Yes, I really do."  
  
"The same way that you cared about Phillip?"  
  
Chloe shook her head, "No, not at all. I loved Phillip, but..."  
  
Nancy raised her eyebrows in confusion. "You don't love Brady?"  
  
Chloe sighed in frustration. "It's not that at all. I did love Phillip, but I never told him that. And... I love Brady, but in a different way."  
  
"Different how?"  
  
"Just different. A part of me will always care about Phillip, but it was an inexperienced, immature kind of love. After the initial 'honeymoon' period where everything is perfect, and both of us were so in love with each other, things changed. It just felt like two people playing their parts in the 'Perfect Couple Parade'. What I feel for Brady is completely different, it's new, and it's deeper and much stronger. I know that you don't like him, but..."  
  
Nancy put her hand up and interjected, "It doesn't matter, Chloe. My feelings about Brady may be wrong, I don't know. What matters is how you feel about him. And, if he's everything you say he is, then he is okay with me."  
  
Chloe looked almost surprised. "Really? You never said that about Phillip. What's changed?"  
  
"You. I want to trust that you know what's best for you. At least in some situations..."  
  
"Well, you can trust me on this one. Brady is... the best thing that's ever happened to me, I guess. I don't know how to explain it but... I never have to compromise myself when I'm with him. I can just be me. It's so easy being with him, I feel like I don't have to try hard to make things work, they just do. But at the same time, it's still challenging and exciting and interesting. And... does this make ANY sense at all?"  
  
Nancy nodded and smiled, "It makes perfect sense, because that's exactly how I feel about Craig. God knows that I am far from perfect and I am probably not very easy to live with either..."  
  
Chloe laughed and nodded as Nancy continued, "But, Craig doesn't make me feel that way. He accepts me for all my faults. Now, does Brady know this is how you feel?"  
  
Chloe sighed and shook her head. "No, I don't think so. I mean, I've never told him. I have TRIED so many times to just tell him that I love him, but I can't seem to get it out. I want to, but then I start think that it's just too soon and we've only been dating for a month, and so on. I mean, when did you know that you loved Craig?"  
  
Nancy smiled happily. "The first time he kissed me, I knew. We didn't say it to each other for awhile, but we both knew the whole time. I think you know too, but you're afraid to admit it, right?"  
  
"I don't know. The two of us have always had a connection, and I've known that I care about him for a while now... but... I just I get scared that he won't feel the same way."  
  
"Well, I can't tell you what is going on in HIS mind, but if this boy went out of his way to drive you all the way to Maine and back, and took care of you like you said... then, I have a pretty good feeling about it."  
  
Chloe smiled hopefully at her mother. "I hope you're right."  
  
"There's only one way to find out. He has to know how you feel... no matter how it turns out."  
  
Chloe sighed and looked at her hands. "I just hope I have enough courage to say it."  
  
Nancy impulsively hugged her daughter closely. "After what I saw today, I have no doubt that you have enough courage. You have enough courage to do anything, Chloe. If the time is right for it, you'll be just fine."  
  
Chloe leaned out of the embrace and nodded. "Thanks... thanks for the talk."  
  
"My pleasure."  
  
Chloe paused nervously and spoke, "I know that I'm probably grounded until my 40th birthday, but is there any possible way we can defer the punishment until tomorrow?"  
  
"You want to go see Brady?"  
  
Chloe nodded, "I promised him I'd get in touch with him some time today, and I really want to see him..."  
  
Nancy nodded knowingly and smiled, "I'm alright with that. Just don't stay out too late..."  
  
Chloe smiled widely. "I won't... thank you SO much."  
  
Chloe stood and grabbed her purse off the nightstand. Nancy stood from the bed and said, "Are you going to talk with him about all of this?"  
  
Chloe shrugged and replied, "I don't know... I'll just have to see when I get there."  
  
"Well, good luck then..."  
  
Chloe paused at the door and smiled. "Thanks... mom."   
  
She quickly turned and ran down the stairs.  
  
***  
  
Chloe hesitated at the door of the Black penthouse. She sighed softly and rang the doorbell. The door opened and she came face to face with Marlena.  
  
"Chloe... this is certainly a surprise. Come on in."  
  
"Thank you, Dr. Black..." Chloe stepped inside and smiled at Marlena.  
  
"Dear, you can call me Marlena, you know."  
  
Chloe nodded and replied, "I know... it's just force of habit."  
  
Marlena smiled in understanding, "So you're probably here to see Brady? He's upstairs in his room, I believe."  
  
"Uhm... I am here to see Brady, but actually, I'm glad you're here. I wanted to talk to you too."  
  
Marlena gave her a surprised glance. "To me? Why is that?"  
  
Chloe sighed nervously, "I need to talk to someone... Like on a professional basiskind of thing. I probably should have sought help a long time ago actually."  
  
"Well, of course you can talk to me. If you feel comfortable with me, that is... I don't want you to feel awkward because I'm Belle's mom and Brady's stepmom, so I can recommend someone else if you want."  
  
Chloe shook her head, "No, I'll be fine. I want to talk to you."  
  
Marlena smiled and nodded, "Alright then, I'll have my assistant set up an appointment for you. Just call my office in the morning, okay?"  
  
"I will... thank you."  
  
"You're welcome, Chloe."  
  
Chloe smiled and turned to head up the stairs. She walked down the hallway until she reached Brady's room and gently tapped on the door.  
  
She heard his muffled voice call from beyond the door, "Come in..."  
  
Chloe cracked the door opened and peered around it. Brady was throwing dirty clothes in a laundry basket, and he paused to look up at her.  
  
He smiled widely, "Chloe... you're here."  
  
Chloe nodded and stepped all the way inside, "Well, when I called earlier you were in the shower... so I decided to just stop by."  
  
Brady stepped towards her and pulled her into his arms. He kissed her gently on the lips and ended it with a smile.  
  
"I didn't know you'd be calling so soon. Things must have gone pretty well."  
  
Chloe stepped out of the embrace and sat down on the edge of the bed. "REALLY well, actually. Better than I could have ever expected."  
  
Brady sat on the bed next to her and clasped her hand. "So then you're not grounded for the rest of your life?"  
  
Chloe nodded. "Oh no, I'm in trouble. BIG trouble. I'm just out now on a 'special pass'. But other than the fact that I ran away with an older, dangerous man, everything is surprisingly great."  
  
Brady grinned and raised his eyebrows. "Older and dangerous? I kinda like the sound of that. Either way, I'm really glad you're here."  
  
"REALLY glad?"  
  
Brady nodded and replied, "Very glad. After spending every waking minute with you for the past 8 days, I kinda got used to having you around. And now... I miss you."  
  
"We've only been apart for like 3 hours, Brady. You miss me already?"  
  
"Yeah, I do. You didn't miss me?"  
  
Chloe smiled shyly, "Yeah, I did. But just a little." Chloe grinned and winked at him with her last statement.  
  
"But besides that, I'm glad you're here because I wanted to show you something." Brady stood and walked towards his closet. He pulled a box off the top shelf and brought it back to the bed, opening the lid as he sat down.  
  
"Well, I love show and tell, so go for it."  
  
Brady smiled and pulled out a stack of pictures. He handed the first one to Chloe, and she nearly sighed when she saw it. It was a photo of a pale and weak Isabella Black holding a 6 month old Brady in her arms and smiling.  
  
"Oh Brady, this is such a beautiful picture."  
  
Brady nodded sadly. "That was just a few days before she died, but she still looks beautiful." Brady handed her a small stack of photos and continued, "But these are what I really wanted to show you."  
  
Chloe laughed out loud at the first picture in the stack. A very young Brady was dressed in a cowboy outfit and was holding the hand of a tiny blonde girl, presumably Belle, in a bumblebee outfit. "Oh, Brady, this is adorable. I assume this was for Halloween, right?"  
  
"Oh no, we dressed like this every week."  
  
Chloe chuckled and rolled her eyes. "You two were so cute. How old were you?"  
  
"I think I was about six, so Belle would be like three years old in this picture. I remember this Halloween really clearly actually. Dad taught Belle how to buzz, so whenever we went up to someone's door she would say 'Bzzz, Bzzz. I'm a bumblebee!' Only she pronounced it wrong, so it came out more like bubblebee."  
  
Chloe giggled at Brady's imitation of his sister. Chloe moved on to the next picture of a slightly older Belle wearing a party hat and receiving a kiss on the cheek from a boy with chocolate brown hair. Chloe grinned and looked up at Brady, "Is that Shawn?"  
  
Brady nodded and replied, "Yeah. That's from Belle's 8th birthday party. Shawn's mom and Marlena both really wanted a picture of the two of them together, and she kept saying, 'Shawn Douglas, move closer to Belle. Just give her a hug or something.' and then out of nowhere he leaned over and gave her a kiss on the cheek..."  
  
Chloe continued, "And the rest is history... right?"  
  
"Pretty much." Brady moved that picture away and pointed at the next. "This is one of my favorites. Camping at Green Mountain."  
  
Chloe smiled widely, she could easily see why it would be one of his favorites. A pre-teen Brady and Belle were asleep in their separate sleeping bags, but right beside each other. Belle's hand was lazily thrown over Brady's shoulder.   
  
Brady continued, "My dad and I had made the mistake of telling scary stories around the fire that night. Belle heard some noises while she was in her tent alone and freaked out. She came running to me."  
  
"And you protected her..."  
  
Brady smiled. "Of course I did. Always. She's one of the most important things in my life, and I swore that I would always protect her. When Marlena woke up that morning, and found Belle's tent empty, she grabbed the camera so she could take a picture of us. I guess everyone is cute when they're sleeping, right?"  
  
Chloe grinned slyly and winked at him, "Not everybody, Brady."  
  
"What's that supposed to mean?"  
  
Chloe chuckled and laid down on the bed with her head on Brady's pillow. "Let me do a quick impression for you..."   
  
She laid on her side and closed her eyes, leaving her mouth wide open. Chloe breathed in and out and snored loudly every other breath or so. Brady frowned and laid beside her.  
  
"That is not what I look like when I sleep, Chloe."  
  
Chloe rolled over and opened her eyes to look at him. "Oh, I believe it is. I don't understand how somebody who leaves their mouth that wide open can still snore loud enough to wake the neighbors."  
  
"You're not funny. Not funny at all."  
  
Chloe laughed softly. "Well, I think I'm very funny. And, I'm also just kidding. You are pretty cute when you're asleep."  
  
Brady smiled and kissed the tip of her nose. "That's better, thank you."  
  
Chloe rubbed her nose and laughed. "That tickled, but you're welcome anyway."  
  
"Chloe... does it make you feel sad when I tell all these stories about growing up and show you these pictures?"  
  
Chloe shook her head vehemently. "No, not at all. Maybe it should because I didn't have all that when I was a kid, but it doesn't. I like the pictures, and the stories, the whole thing."  
  
"Good..."  
  
Chloe sighed quietly. "Did I ever thank you?"  
  
Brady raised one eyebrow curiously, "Thank me for what?"  
  
"For all the times that you've saved me. I don't remember even thanking you for the night at the hospital. When Nancy thought that Phillip had raped me, you showed up and saved me. I don't know how you do it, but you always show up when I need you."  
  
"Not always. I didn't save you from Jan and Mimi at the dance, I didn't save you from the man who attacked you, I didn't stop your wrist from being broken."  
  
"Those are things that are out of your control. There is no way you could have prevented them from happening. And that's not what I'm referring to... I meant, emotionally. The only reason I can get through all of this is because of you, and that's what I want to thank you for. That's why I'm here right now, so I could make sure you know how much your presence in my life means to me."  
  
Brady smiled and kissed her gently. "You're welcome. And, you know, that's never going to change. I'm always going to be here for you."  
  
Chloe smiled back at him, "I know. And, the same goes for me too. I know that lately it seems that everything is about me and my problems. And, I'm really sorry about that. The things that you have done for me this week... nobody has EVER done something like that for me. And, I hope someday that I can repay the favor."  
  
"Just seeing you have happiness is enough payment for me, Chloe."  
  
"You always know the right thing to say..."  
  
Brady shook his head and sat up. "Not always..."  
  
Chloe sat up beside him and put her head on his shoulder. "Well, it sure seems like it... Anyway, I just stopped by to give you an update and to thank you in person. I should probably be going before Nancy calls out the SWAT team."  
  
Brady chuckled and kissed her on the forehead, "Alright, you need a ride home?"  
  
Chloe stood from the bed and laughed out loud, "Brady, you don't have a car anymore, remember?"  
  
"Oh... Yeah. Guess I have to go buy a new one tomorrow."  
  
"Good luck with that. I'll call you as soon as I'm not grounded anymore."  
  
Brady raised one eyebrow and grinned at her, "So... I'll talk to you in about 10 years?"  
  
"Something like that... I'll see ya, Brady."  
  
Brady smiled weakly as he watched her go, "Bye..."  
  
Chloe walked out and closed the door to Brady's bedroom behind her. She took a few steps down the hallway, but hesitated for a moment. Chloe felt like she had said the things that she had come here to say... everything but one important thing. She sighed deeply and turned herself back around. Reaching forward, she slowly turned the knob on Brady's door and opened it. He was still sitting in the exact spot she had left him in and he looked at her in surprise.  
  
"Chloe..."  
  
Chloe gently shut the door behind her and looked towards the floor. "Brady... I lied to you."  
  
Brady's jaw dropped slightly, "You lied to me? I don't believe that's possible."  
  
Chloe shook her head but kept her gaze downward. "It's true. I didn't come here for the reasons I said I did. I mean, I did want to tell you that things went well with my parents, and I did want to thank you... But, there's something else I wanted to tell you, and I just didn't have the guts to do it until I walked out this door."  
  
"And it's something bad? Is that why you lied?"  
  
Chloe lifted her head and looked him in the eyes. "I don't know if it's bad or not. I think it's good actually, but you might disagree. I'm not sure."  
  
Brady shook his head in confusion, "Well, go ahead and say it then. I'm listening."  
  
Chloe sat down on the bed beside him and wrung her hands nervously. "Okay... hold on. I need a moment."   
  
Chloe shut her eyes and breathed deeply, she tried to let a feeling of calm wash over her. She knew that she was strong inside, and there was no reason to let her nervousness overtake her now. She took one last deep breath and opened her eyes to a still confused Brady.  
  
"Alright, here I go. What I really wanted to tell you was this... This may be too soon to say this, but now that I'm a little more free about my emotions, I think I should share this one that I'm having right now. Actually, I have it all the time, not just right now. Brady, you are so important to me, and I know I've told you that before, but I don't think you know how important you are. And, the only way for me to really say it is to preface a very short, but very meaningful, sentence with all the words that I just said. So, the important sentence is..."  
  
Chloe's mouth felt as dry as the Sahara, and she knew her palms were sweating heavily. She ignored it for the moment and smiled as widely as possible before continuing, "The important sentence is... I love you."  
  
Brady blinked his eyes rapidly in shock, "You what?"  
  
Chloe continued smiling, "I love you. See, I said it. Twice now. And it feels good. It feels surprisingly great. I'm not afraid anymore, Brady. I'm not afraid of loving someone, because I love you, and it doesn't matter if you don't feel the same way. It doesn't change how I feel."  
  
"Wow... Chloe... I don't even know what to say."  
  
"You don't have to say anything if you don't want to. I'm fine with that. I said what I wanted, and I'm glad I did. Don't feel obligated to say something you're not ready to say."  
  
Brady shook his head and clasped her hand in his. "No, I do have some thing to say. I am so proud of you, Chloe. I know that this wasn't easy for you, and I know why. Because... I've been going through something similar myself."  
  
Chloe's eyes widened in surprise, "You have?"  
  
Brady nodded and put one hand gently on her cheek. "I have. You see, every time that you're out of earshot. Like, when I drop you off at your house and I watch you walk inside, or sometimes when you're sleeping and I'm still awake... I say something to you that you can't hear. And, if you can be brave enough to say it to me now, than I think it's only fair to return the favor. I love you, Chloe... and three little words will never express how much I love you. But, I'll say them anyway... I love you too."  
  
Chloe smiled again and embraced Brady as tightly as possible. She sighed deeply, as if a huge weight had been lifted off of her shoulders. "Oh Brady, thank God..."  
  
"What? You had doubts?"  
  
Chloe chuckled, "Just a few..."  
  
Brady leaned out of the embraced and placed an index finger on her lips. "Don't ever doubt me again. I love you Chloe, and I always will."  
  
Chloe nodded in acceptance and smiled. Brady leaned his face in to hers and kissed her forehead, her nose and then her lips. Chloe melted in to him and their kiss intensified. She softly and slowly broke the kiss off and smiled at Brady.  
  
"Wow... If I had known it would make all the kissing that much better, I would have said it a long time ago."  
  
Brady laughed and leaned back on his elbows proudly. "Yeah, well... it's like magic."  
  
"Well, if that's magic... then you are like David Copperfield. Best in your field."  
  
Brady grinned slyly at her, "So, when do you have to be home?"  
  
"I have to leave in like 15 minutes if I want to make it home before the 'Wrath of Wesley' hits."  
  
"Well, come here then... let's not waste a single second of it."  
  
Chloe smiled widely and moved towards Brady. He laid all the way down on his back and she leaned over him. Brady smiled at her and brought her towards him for a kiss. A kiss that would last for the next 15 minutes, but had enough meaning behind it to last forever.  
  
The End  
(Please see Author's Notes)  



	24. Author's Notes

Author's Notes  
  
Yes, there WILL be a sequel to this story. The entire thing is planned in my head, I just have to write it. More things will come out about Chloe's past, and her family, and there will be more of a progression in her relationship with Brady. That's all I can tell you for now.  
  
Secondly, THANK YOU FOR READING! It's all of you who inspire me to continue plugging away at this stuff, and I REALLY appreciate all the kind words. Days fans are the best! You guys rock. :)  
  
Now... some notes...  
  
Special thanks to MapQuest for giving me all the mileages between Salem (Illinois), Boston, Newport, New York, etc etc.  
  
Yes, Chloe *IS* an NSync fan. I've seen the posters on her wall.  
  
I've tried to incorporate a couple of elements from the actual show in this story. Including, the Tropical Temptation storyline, the van crash will lead Brady to get the Jeep that he has now, and the aria that Chloe sings at the Met is the one that she started to sing at Salem High before Brady stopped her.  
  
Special thanks to the Aria Database. Anyone who needs help with opera lyrics and translations for a Brady/Chloe story MUST use this site, it is very helpful. http://www.aria-database.com  
  
My apologies to Chloe for breaking her wrist, and having her attacked by a scary man in a bathroom. I know she's a fictional character, but part of me still feels bad when I have to hurt someone that I like.  
  
Brady's childhood stories are ALL mine. (In the carsickness story, I was Belle, and my brother was Brady who vomited. Basically, in all of the stories about a younger Belle, you can substitute me. They ALL happened to me. Honestly.) Plus, the thing that happens to Brady's van happened to my best friend. The tow truck guy told her she was lucky she didn't kill herself.  
  
I forgot that Chloe is a semi-vegetarian. So, let's pretend her cheeseburger was a SOY burger, kay?  
  
Musical Credits:  
"It's Gonna Be Me", *NSync  
"Baby One More Time", Britney Spears  
"Someone Like You", Van Morrison  
"Vissi D'arte", Puccini from the opera "Tosca"  
  
The characters of Chloe, Brady, John, Marlena, Belle, Shawn, Phillip, Jan, Mimi, Albert Miller, Nancy, Craig and all the rest DO NOT belong to me. I only wish that they did. I don't make any money off of this, I leave that to the professionals to do. The other characters in the story DO belong to me, so don't use them unless you have permission. Please. (Although I don't know why you would want them...)  
  
And, if you're wondering where the heck I got the title from, please check out the following song: "What's Simple is True", by Jewel  
  
turn to me with frozen lips / your hands are icy cold / your eyes burn bright against the frost-bit sky / you never seemed more lovely than you do tonight / pale on the horizon / like leaves frozen in the snow / our two shadows merge inseparably / will time stand still if it's pierced with cold / the more i live / the more i know / what's simple is true / i love you  
  
there's a warmth in my heart / it haunts me when you're gone / mend me to your side and never let go / say time knows nothing, we'll never grow cold / the more i live / the more i know / what's simple is true / i love you  
  
twilight descends on our silhouette / how soon spring comes / how soon spring forgets / i wanna hold time, say it'll never begin / old man winter be our friend / old man winter be our friend  
  
'cause the more i live / the more i know what's simple is true / what's simple is true / i love, i love you  
  
Thanks again for reading and reviewing. If you ever get a chance, visit my website at http://www.geocities.com/hopegrace24 


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